7 Years
by Astarpen
Summary: Santana rolled her eyes, Charlie really liked his cars, it was weird. "No, let's play something else like—like doctor! Like my daddy! I'll be the doctor first." Santana announces. "I gots to listen to your heart, so take off your shirt."
1. Chapter 1

**AN: This story is not one of the favorites that I have written, I don't like how it ends. This really was supposed to be my first foray into doing a little Boy!Charlie. It was supposed to be cute, and a series of little one-shots set in the Alpha/Omega world where Charlie was an omega. It didn't turn out well (I think I'm probably going to stop writing fiction where they are teenagers. That might be why), but it's what I have for you. So I apologize. I promise I have more engaging stories incoming. It's not the last you'll see of genderswapped Charlie or Quinn for that matter.  
**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing**

 **Song: 7 years Lucas Graham.**

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"You know they _don't_ need to go to preschool Russell. They're perfectly fine at home with me. It'll be good for them especially Charlie. I don't think he's ready—"

Russell rolled his eyes, of course Judy would say that. "It doesn't matter if he's an omega Judy, he's also a Fabray. He'll be _fine_." Russell glances back in the rearview mirror where the twins were busy chatting away excitedly in the back. "See—he's excited to go to school. And I've told Quinton that it's his job to protect him. You know as an alpha, everything will be fine."

Judy sighed. It wasn't that she thought anything would go _wrong_ per se, but preschool was a big step for her three year old twins. Charlie still sucked his thumb, and she couldn't help the pang of fear that the other kids might tease him for it. But maybe she was overreacting. School would be good for him. "You're right." She settled on finally. If it didn't work out she could be back to the preschool in under ten minutes, she could take them right home and they'd have another year before she had to worry about it. The boys would probably cry when they tried to leave—at least Charlie would probably cry—and it would break Russell's heart when they clung to her. Russell would probably insist that they come home and try school another day.

"Alright we're here!" Russell said pulling into the parking lot, "Look at that!" He points to the playground outside. "They've got swings! And a slide! You guys are going to have a lot of fun inside." He turns to see that his boys are indeed staring out the window with wonder in their eyes. "You're going to have a lot of fun without mommy and daddy today, there's going to be new kids for you to play with and you're going to get snacks and get to play with new toys." He said with all the enthusiasm he could muster but it seemed to be working. He glanced over at Judy a proud smile on his face only to notice that she didn't look thrilled. "We've been through this with Brittany, it's hard the first day but Brittany made a lot of friends and you wanted to start having birthday parties remember?"

Judy scowled, Brittany had been an only child and needed to learn to socialize with kids her age. Charlie and Quinn had each other. There was a difference. She sighs, trying to remember to keep calm the twins would pick up on her nerves. "I know, but maybe we should think about half-days or something. They've never really been out of sight for so long, and they're my babies!"

"Judy." Russell warned. The last thing they needed was Charlie feeding off Judy's energy. With a sigh he gets out of the car to unbuckle the twins. He had always wanted three kids, but he had never expected twins. He reaches in and gets Charlie first, he probably wouldn't wander off right away. He puts Charlie down on the ground. "Stay," he ordered gruffly watching as Charlie nods. He quickly goes into unlock Quinton before placing him beside Charlie who had begun to suck his thumb again. They had tried _everything_ to get him to stop, but it hadn't done any good. He places Quinton down so he can grab their bags and groans when Quinton takes off. It's enough to set Charlie off as he immediately runs after his older brother. " _Quinton_."

Judy steps in front of her sons letting Quinton run into her legs. She immediately scoops him up as Charlie slows down and pulls up behind his brother, "Quinton, you know what we said about running in parking lots. It's _dangerous_."

Quinton's face scrunches up and Judy cringes as Quinton starts screaming angrily. If he wasn't in her arms she's sure he would be stomping away from them. He hates being told no and Judy's getting really tired of the temper tantrums that result from his attempts to push boundaries.

Charlie sighs and watches the display, feeling content and maybe a little jealous that his brother was safe with their mommy. He took the chance to look around, feeling his earlier fear at leaving his mommy and dad melt away as he looked at the brightly colored outside toys. It looked like it would be _fun_. He cocked his head to the side and pulled his fingers out of his mouth when he smelled something delicious coming from the school. Glancing up to make sure that mommy was focused on Quinton, he slipped happily between a couple of cars and wandered toward the gates only to feel strong hands pick him up and swing him off the ground.

"Hold up there, Sport." Russell grabbed his youngest and pulled him into his arms while shuffling the boys' bags. Even if he had just barely caught the sight of a towhead slipping between the cars, three years of parenting twins had turned he and Judy into a well-oiled machine. Charlie struggled a bit in his hold, especially when he turned to walk back toward Judy and Quinn in the parking lot, but Russell firmly tapped Charlie's bum warningly with the palm of his hand and Charlie quickly fell in line. "I know you're excited, but what have we told you about wandering off?"

"Not to." Charlie's fingers found their way back into his mouth.

"That's right." Russell watched as Charlie opened one of his arms and sighed as he scooped him up. One day they were going to get too big to be held and the very idea would cause them to be embarrassed. Hopefully this need to be carried wouldn't last as long as Brittany's had. Now if only Charlie would stop sucking on his thumb. "You ready to go to school sport?"

Charlie nods his head and turns as best as he can as they start to get closer to that really nice smell that's coming from the building. Maybe they were having cookies. It didn't smell like cookies, but it smelled like he'd be safe and warm and he'd get good food. He pulls his thumb out of his mouth, "Do they have race cars?"

Russell smiles, "I dunno, we're going to have to find out but I think they have blocks and lego, I think they have lots and lots of lego, and paints and coloring books and books for you to read."

"Really?" Quinton asks finally calming down in his mom's arms to look at his dad.

"Really, you're both going to have so much fun and you're going to make new friends, but remember your best friend in the entire world is?" He prompts looking at Charlie.

"Quinn?" Charlie asks looking at his brother.

"Right and you two need to have each other's backs no matter what. Family is important," Russell says as he opens the door for Judy before following her.

Charlie squirms again. "Can I go play?" He begs.

Russell's torn between reminding him not to whine and encouraging his school directed excitement. He's a little surprised that Charlie seems to be feeling adventurous but nods and lets him down gently.

"Me too!" Quinton yells and Judy sighs and puts him down.

"Quinton there are _rules_ and you have to obey them or they'll ask you to leave," Judy informs him, when he scrunches his face at this she runs a hand through his hair. "Just be a good boy for mommy okay?"

"Okay, bye mommy!" Quinn smiles and runs to follow Charlie. He doesn't notice that his parents haven't left yet as he approaches Charlie pushing him a bit. "Whatcha doing?"

Charlie turns to him and pulls his thumb out of his mouth, "It smells yummy and I'm hungry," he responds jumping to try and reach the handle of the door.

"I don't smell anything." Quinton frowns and tries to help him reach the door. He sniffs the air again and crinkles his nose. "Smells like poop."

"No! It smells _yummy_!" Charlie insists turning to look at Quinton. He stares at his brother before turning to his parents who were watching the two of them with an amused expression on their faces. The smell was getting closer.

After watching his boys fondly for a moment, Russell decides to take pity on them, pulling down the handle and pushing the heavy door open for the two boys to scamper in. His ears are immediately assaulted with the sound of toddler's playing. He shakes his head, wondering who had the patience for that sort of thing.

It sort of happens in a blur. Judy tries to usher her boys inside only to have a flash of a girl practically knock Charlie to the ground and bite his shoulder. A petite alpha runs after the dark haired girl and smiles apologetically at Judy and Russell. "Santana! Just what do you think you're doing?" She scolds, pulling her daughter off Charlie and holding her by the shoulders to look her squarely in the eyes.

"I want him, he smells the bestest."

It was so innocent and adorable Judy almost squealed. It was unheard of for children to find their mates at this age, but to have a little girl pretend was almost too cute for words. "See Charlie, that's why it's important to stay nice and clean." Hopefully this little interaction would be a positive influence on her son who seemed to hate baths more than anything.

Charlie eyed her skeptically and stuck his thumb in his mouth, clearly thinking.

"I'm Maribel." The woman introduced herself. "I was just about to leave when my daughter attacked your son."

"She wants to play." Russell shrugged, smiling and introduced his family. When he was done, he nudged Judy playfully. "And you were worried that he wouldn't make any friends."

Santana cocked her head to the side at the sight. "My mommy says it's bad to suck your thumb."

"Santana—" Maribel warned.

"It's _true_. You said."

Maribel was about to apologize to the Fabrays again when Charlie pulled his thumb out of his mouth. "Okay." He tilts his head at Santana and holds out his hand, not noticing that there was drool all over it. "I'm Charlie."

"Santana," Santana says and takes his drool covered hands. She doesn't seem to notice that his hands are covered in spit. "Come on let's go color."

Charlie nods agreeably that sounds like fun, "Kay," he said letting Santana pull him towards the coloring tables.

Quinton frowns. He's not used to Charlie doing stuff without him. _He_ told Charlie when it was time to play with the crayons. He doesn't look back at his parents before running after them.

"And you were worried that they were going to cry when we leave. I told you that you just need to show them something _shiny_ and they'll be fine. They'll probably come back as the most popular kids in class." Russell grinned at his wife. "Now let's go before they notice that we're not here."

"But—" Judy began.

"Judy, they're okay and they're coloring. Which means that we can slip out without them noticing."

"First time parents too?" Maribel asks glancing back at Santana who was talking to Charlie animatedly. She couldn't even bring Carlos to this, he would have stood there crying while he watched Santana.

"No, we have another one. She's in second grade. Her name is Brittany, she was just as bad then," Russell says.

"You _cried_." Judy grumbles, which had caused Brittany to cry. "Charlie's just a little—well he's a little more sensitive than our other kids."

"I did no such thing." Russell lies. Based on Maribel's quirked brow she doesn't believe it either but he's not going to admit defeat. "Charlie is our only omega so we get a little—"

"Overprotective." Maribel nodded. "I understand, Santana is our only child. I don't know that I could _handle_ another terror like her." She jokes. Mostly. The chance to have Santana run off her extra energy with kids her age has almost brought her and Carlos to tears.

Russell laughed, and guided the two women out of the classroom feeling only the slightest pang when none of the kids even looked in their direction. School was going to be fine. It's not like life changing events ever occurred in preschool anyway.

Quinton frowned, growing bored with the coloring and grabbed Charlie's arm, "Come _on_ —let's go play lego!"

Charlie turns to him and is about to get up when Santana grabs his other arm. "No. We're _coloring_." She insists.

Charlie glances between the two nervously and sits back down. Maybe if he was quiet they'd leave him alone. "Uh—?"

"He's _my_ brother. That means he has to do what _I_ say." Quinn stomps his foot. If his Daddy was here, he'd probably get spanked for saying that, but it's _true._ Charlie has always done what Quinton wanted him to and it's not fair that some girl thinks she can boss him around.

Santana grabs Charlie's hand and bites it, hard. She can't explain what makes her do it, but she just knows that she wants to bite him. Charlie smells good and he's supposed to be Santana's. It's not like a toy at the store, but Charlie is _her_ s.

Charlie cries out in pain which is enough to draw the teacher's attention. Miss Pillsbury starts toward them but is too late to stop Quinn from pushing Santana as hard as he can in retaliation. "You're _mean_ ," Quinton snaps at Santana who falls down and glares at him. "He's _mine_."

Charlie stares at them for a minute, as Santana lunges at Quinton and gets up and moves over to where there's a boy playing with some hot wheels. He kneels down and picks up a discarded car. "Vroom," he says making the noise as he drives the car around.

Quinn pulled on Santana's hair as hard as he could. Flinching when Santana smacked him hard in the face. "Charlie's _my brother_."

"He's _mine_." Santana yells back as Miss Pillsbury forcibly separates them. She struggles to beat the mean boy up but she can't seem to reach him.

"Stop. Both of you, right now." Miss Pillsbury tries to be firm and both children calm a little. It's one of the benefits of being an omega teacher, alphas this little tend to be much more obedient for their omega caretakers—she can't imagine dealing with kids older than three. "You're not allowed to _hit_ each other. We don't fight in this school, so both of you are going to go for timeout for five minutes."

"But—but he started it!" Santana whines. She wasn't even being naughty this time.

"I don't care who started it. But what matters is that this behavior is unacceptable." She insists. She puts both kids in the timeout chairs in the corner, paying specific attention to keep them far enough away that they can't bother each other but close enough that they know they are being punished together. It's not uncommon for alphas to be a little bossy, especially on the first day and it's best to curb this behavior right away.

Quinton bites down the urge to cry, not willing to let Santana see him cry. He doesn't like being in trouble, especially when he didn't even do anything wrong.

Santana huffs and sits down on the chair and makes a face, it wasn't fair she was _always_ in trouble. This time she hadn't even done anything. She turns to watch Charlie playing with the cars and looks at Quinton who was sulking in his seat. "He's mine but we can _share_."

Quinn scowls at this, "I don't _like_ sharing."

Santana face scrunches up and she shrugs finally deciding to watch her new friend playing cars. He was hers even if he didn't really seem to understand what was going on. She grins and waves at him when he finally turns to look at her. If Quinton didn't want to share that was fine, he'd be all hers.

~O~

"Um, Mrs. Fabray and Mrs. Lopez, since you're both here, it'll probably be wise to tell you that there was a bit of an incident earlier this morning soon after you left. Quinton and Santana got into a fight, I separated it of course before it could escalate. It seems that they were arguing over who got to play with Charlie."

Maribel paled. She should have _known_ Santana would cause problems on the first day of school. "I'm so sorry. I don't know what's gotten into her, she normally gets along great with other kids at daycare." She's going to have a long talk with her daughter tonight.

"If I know Quinton, he was probably just as much to blame." Judy frowns.

"It's normal for alphas this young to get in small arguments." Miss Pillsbury placated. "Santana seems to have developed a fondness for Charlie and I think Quinton was feeling a little left out."

"A fondness?" Maribel asks. Sure Santana's a little bit of a trouble-maker, but while she normally plays well with the other kids she tends to not make friends easily.

"She didn't want Charlie sleeping alone at naptime." Miss Pillsbury smiles at the memory. "Neither of them would really settle down until we gave in and let them share a mat."

"That's adorable." Judy gushed. She felt a surge of relief. All day she had visions of Charlie crying in the corner because the other kids were being mean to him.

Maribel had to agree, "Still, I'm sorry that Santana wasn't following instructions. We'll talk with her." She turns to look for her daughter so she could give her a scolding only to notice that Santana was pulling Charlie along.

"I've got _lotsa_ toys and my abuela makes a _ton_ of food!" Santana explains as she pulls Charlie with her. "Mami, look I made a friend. He's coming home to see my puppy."

"You don't have a puppy." Maribel reminds her daughter. She spares a glance at Judy who looks to be fighting a smirk.

"I know, that's why we have to _get_ a puppy." She says as if it were obvious. She frowns when Maribel laughs and pulls Santana up and settles her on her hip.

Charlie frowns a bit and seems to finally notice that his mommy is around and runs to her. "Can Santana come play?" He asks pleadingly.

" _No_!" Quinton said stomping his foot angrily, he didn't want Santana playing with his toys. He feels even more mad that Charlie doesn't even seem to feel bad for ignoring him _all_ _day_.

Judy frowned, this was a first. The twins very rarely disagree on anything and she's a little torn. Part of her wants to just take both of her boys and lock them in the house until they're thirty, but she knows that's not practical. Judy turns back to her youngest son, "Maybe you can come visit Santana this weekend?"

"No! I don't wanna share!" Quinton yells again glaring at Santana who smiles at this.

"Can we get a puppy?" Santana tugs on her Mami's shirtsleeve and grins excitedly. They had plenty of time to get a puppy so that Charlie could play with him. Then Charlie would _never_ have to leave.

"No mija." She turns to Judy and feels the need to explain. "Santana stays with her abuela on most days until her dad and I get home from work. I took this week off to help her get used to school but a puppy—"

"But I _want_ one." Santana whined.

"Santana, _stop_." Maribel scolds.

Quinn grins when Santana gets in trouble. She's mean and has stolen his brother _all day_. Quinn wanted to go home and never come back and eat cheese sandwiches for snack time.

Santana huffs. "But Charlie can still come home with me, right Mami?"

"Charlie has his own home to go to." Maribel shakes her head, smiling. "But we have school again _tomorrow_ so you can play with him then."

~O~

They were one song, a glass of water, a potty break, _another_ glass of water and two stories deep into bed time but Charlie couldn't seem to fall asleep. They had _tried_ telling him to lay quietly, but he had wandered out of bed three times already. Russell had enough. "Sit down. It's time to go to _sleep_."

"But I didn't say g'night to Santana."

Russell pinched the bridge of his nose. "You've slept just fine without saying goodnight to Santana your whole life. She'll be at school with you tomorrow." He had been thrilled to hear that his youngest boy was a ladies man, and he had quickly realized what a mistake that had been.

"Daddy—"

"Enough Charles." He commanded in the voice that usually cowed his son into obedience. It had worked before, it didn't seem to be working now.

But Charlie just cocked his head to the side, watching his father with a trembling lip.

It was so damn infuriating! Charlie was supposed to be the _easy_ one. And yet, Quinton had fallen asleep _hours_ ago. Brittany's bedtime came and went without a fuss. Two children down and one to go. "I mean it. It's late and you're tired. _I'm_ tired. It's time for bed."

It was enough to send crocodile sized tears spilling down his cheeks.

"Russell?" Judy poked her head in, holding her phone away from her ear. Even from across the room he can hear a high pitched wail. "Apparently we're not the only ones having a tough time with bedtime?"

"Let me guess, Santana?"

"SANTANA!" Charlie stood up on his bed and shouted. "I'M HERE."

"Sit down on the bed." Russell scolds. They shouldn't be rewarding bad behavior, but he's at his wits end and Judy isn't managing much better. She hands over the phone and Charlie grabs it eagerly. Almost instantly the screaming stops and Charlie chatters quickly for a few minutes.

"Maribel said she's been screaming for nearly half an hour straight."

Russell frowns and glances at Charlie, it almost seems like he's found his mate while Charlie yawned and flopped back onto his bed, he couldn't help but check his shoulder. It was _impossible_ , for them to have accidentally mated. Sure enough his suspicions proved to be incorrect, there wasn't a mark on Charlie's chest. It just seemed as if he had grown attached to this particular alpha.

"Well," Judy began dryly watching as Charlie curled up with the phone, still chatting away with Santana even as he yawned. She watched as he moved to suck his thumb only to realize what he was doing and put his hand down. "It seems we're going to have a new routine and we're going to have to invite Santana over for play time."

Russell groaned, "Are you sure we're supposed to reward him for bad behavior?"

Judy wanted to agree with him but Charlie was currently sleeping cuddling the phone like it was precious to him. It was adorable in of itself. "Well, I think we should just try and work with him a bit. He seems rather attached to Santana. The only way this is problematic is that Quinton's not used to Charlie not following his instructions immediately. We'll have to figure it out so that Santana and Quinton don't keep on fighting."

Russell sighed. "This is just a phase, right?"

Judy chuckles and carefully extracts her phone. Apparently the late night conversation was enough for Santana too and she quickly ends the call, vowing to talk to Maribel tomorrow so that they don't have to go through this again. She has a feeling it's more than just a phase, but only time will tell.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: So I should probably note that it's really the last couple of chapters that I really don't like. I could always go back and fix them but I've already moved on. I mean it was only supposed to be five chapters. It somehow doubled in length. Which is probably why I really don't like it.**

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"I don't want to play hide and seek anymore." Charlie grumbles, kicking his foot against the dirt. Santana always found him really fast and Quinn kept making him be it.

"Then we don't have to." Santana declares. She hates it when Charlie is sad, it makes her tummy do weird flip flops that she can't explain.

Quinn stomps his foot. "It's _my_ turn to pick the game and I say we are playing hide and seek." He hates it when Santana comes over to play but he doesn't really get much of a choice anymore. But his mom had said it's almost time for Santana to go home which means he and Charlie can watch a movie.

"We did play hide and seek." Santana retorts, grabbing Charlie's hand and leading him away. "But you're being a poop head and we're going to play alone."

"Mom said that you have to play with me too!" Quinton huffs reaching for his brother's hand.

Charlie turns to his brother and frowns, he wanted to play with Santana right now she was leaving soon. "I'll play with you later Quinn, I wanna play with Santana now." When Quinton's lip quivers he sighs, "Go play with Brittany," he offers as he gets dragged along.

Quinton stared as they headed into Charlie's room and closed the door, he _hated_ when Santana was over. All Charlie talked about was Santana, he didn't get what was so great about her. She was bossy and mean and she bit Charlie a lot. It was weird and he didn't like how Charlie got to talk on the phone every night with her. It wasn't fair. He huffs and storms to Brittany's room to go complain to her.

Charlie rubbed his head, "Do you wanna play cars? I've got all the new hot-wheels and Quinton and I made the ramp! See!" Charlie tugged on Santana's hand to show her his hot-wheel track. "You can be the red one!" The red one was his favorite.

Santana rolled her eyes, Charlie really liked his cars, it was weird. "No, let's play something else like—like doctor! Like my daddy! I'll be the doctor first." Santana announces. "I gots to listen to your heart, so take off your shirt."

Charlie takes off his shirt right away. This game sounds fun, last time they went to visit Santana's dad he gave them suckers. Santana presses her ear to Charlie's pale chest, listening intently. She's so focused on listening that she doesn't even notice Charlie wrap his arms around her. "You smell nice."

"I know." Santana rolls her eyes, listening. She can't hear anything and glances up at Charlie. "Your heart is stopped."

"Oh." Charlie fidgets a little, glad that Santana is close because otherwise he'd probably be scared. "What's that mean?"

Santana frowns. She doesn't know, but she's the doctor so she'll fix it. "I hafta give you a shot. Take off your pants."

Charlie grins. He _hates_ wearing pants. He quickly slips out of his jeans and waits expectantly for Santana to do whatever she's going to do next.

Santana cocks her head to the side, frowning. "Why you wearing shorts?"

"They aren't shorts, they're my undies." Charlie glances down at his batman boxers.

"That's not underwear." She shakes her head. His shorts don't look anything like her pink panties. She reaches forward and grabs them pulling them down, Charlie did weird things all the time, wearing shorts seemed like something he'd do. She takes a step back when she sees something she didn't expect. "What's _that_?"

"What?" Charlie looks down at his peepee nervously. Santana seemed scared, maybe something was wrong with him. He bites his lip but everything looks normal.

Santana reaches forward cautiously, and touches it. " _That_."

Charlie blinks and looks at her like she's grown another head. "That's my peepee, you're not a very good doctor."

"I'm the _best_ doctor." Santana huffs, crossing her arms over her chest. "That's not a peepee."

"Yes it is."

"No it's not."

"Yuh-huh."

"If it is, then why don't I have one?" She challenges.

"Because you're a _girl_." Charlie explains. How doesn't Santana know this? She was like the smartest person he knew.

"That doesn't make any sense," Santana shakes her head and crosses her arms. It doesn't look like hers.

Charlie shook his head, this really didn't make any sense whatsoever. "You're a girl and I'm a _boy_ , and now it's my turn to be doctor cause you're really bad at this."

Santana doesn't like being bad at anything but she didn't know that boys had _that_. It was so weird, she begins to pull off her shirt so Charlie can listen to her heart when the door opens. "Santana, it's time for us to—" Carlos Lopez stopped at the sight in front of him, he barely felt Judy colliding against his back as he stared. There was a boy naked in front of his daughter and his daughter seemed to be pulling off her clothes. If Maribel was here, he could only imagine the yelling that would have taken place. "What are you doing?"

Santana flung her shirt off and looked at her daddy unimpressed. "We're playing doctor! I can't hear Charlie's heart so he needs a _shot_."

Judy peeked out from behind Carlos and her own heart stopped. "Charlie what are you doing?"

"Santana didn't even know that boys have a peepee so now _I'm_ the doctor." He has his ear almost flush against Santana's belly. It grumbles a little at him and he steps back in surprise. "Your tummy made a sound! Are you hungry?"

Santana shook her head, "No—"

"Then you need a shot too!" Charlie declares excitedly.

It's enough to snap Carlos from his amusement at the scene. "Nope. I think we're done playing. Put on your clothes Santana, it's time for us to go."

"Carlos, I'm so sorry—" Judy started, only to have him wave it away.

"They're just kids. I'm sure Charlie wasn't the instigator and it's completely normal." Carlos waved it away.

Santana frowns as the adults talk. They were just _playing_. Charlie's ear is now against her chest and it makes her feel happy. She leans down and quickly bites him on the arm.

"Santana!" Carlos scoops her up. "Apologize to Charlie, right now!"

"Why?" Santana whines, squirming in her father's arms. "It's not fair! I don't want to leave!"

"Because biting isn't very nice." Carlos scolds. "Right Charlie? How does it make you feel when Santana bites you?" He's hoping that a little positive peer pressure will help. It's a trick that both parents have found useful over the last year and he doesn't expect it to fail now.

Except it does.

Charlie shrugs in reply, rubbing the bite on his arm carefully. "It's nice."

"Nice?" Judy shakes her head.

"Yeah. It means we're best friends. Santana bites me and sometimes I bite her too. She tastes like bacon."

"I do _not_."

"Do too." Charlie grins and moves to get closer to Santana when he's stopped by his mom. He looks up at her confused.

"You need to put your clothes on Charlie."

"But I don't _wanna_." Charlie whines.

"Well if you don't put on clothes you can't go outside and say goodbye to Santana," Judy informs him watching as a look of horror crosses Charlie's face. Her son quickly begins to pull on his clothes hopping around like a madman. It's effective and it might be the best way to get him to get dressed in the mornings. "Carlos—is this normal? Them being so attached? Or is it something more—" it had been a very long year when it came to Charlie and Santana.

"Well, they're both far too young to actually make the bond it doesn't happen until they both go through puberty, so this might just be that they like each other a lot. Though Santana really doesn't bite anyone else, we won't know for sure until they're both teenagers." If it was what Judy suspected, Santana was going to be in for a rough ride if she hit puberty early.

Judy shakes her head, "And to think I was worried about Brittany." Her daughter still had a long way to go before she finally got to the stage where she was looking for her mate. If this was an indication of what was to come it was going to be a long time till she was at peace again.

"Done mommy." Charlie said not caring that he was wearing his shirt inside out as he runs up to where Carlos is holding Santana who is squirming to get free.

Carlos sighs and sets her down watching as Charlie hugs her tightly. "You can call her tonight before bed," he says. From experience he knows that once Charlie latches on it was difficult to let go. Their phone bill was going to be high again this month. He shuddered to think what it would be like once the two of them became teenagers.

~O~

"NOOOOOO!" Charlie screamed kicking his feet as he tried to wrestle his father off him. "I wan—I wan Santana," he sniffles.

" _Charles_ ," Russell snaps at him already at his wits end. "You can see Quinton and Santana during recess, but you have to go to class."

" _No!_ " Charlie screamed at his father, he wanted to go to class with Santana—and Quinton, but mostly Santana. "Why daddy? Why can't I be with Santana?" Huge crocodile tears in his eyes.

 _'_ _Because the world hates me.'_ Russell shook his head. He and Maribel had petitioned the school to make an exception but they assured them that Charlie would do best with the other omegas. Where the hell were they now? "Because Santana and Quinton have their own class. Think of all the friends you'll make—"

"I don't _need_ friends. I have Santana."

Russell nodded slowly. "True. But think of all the stories you'll get to tell Santana?" He tried.

"What if—what if she makes new friends and forgets about me?" He gulps down some air, snot flowing from his nose.

"Well even if Santana makes other friends that's not going to change how she feels about you right? Cause you're special to her and she's special to you." Russell said as sagely as he could. He needed to be calm because he was dangerously close to yelling at him.

"But—but—Quinton said that Santana isn't going to like me anymore."

Russell grits his teeth, vowing to have a talk with Quinton. It's a good thing his other son was far away getting settled in his own classroom because he's pretty sure he would beat the kid if he were within arms reach. "Who do you believe more? Me, or your brother?"

"Quinton." Charlie sniffles in a broken sob.

Russell's brow twitches, he was definitely going to beat Quinton when he saw him next. "Well your brother is a little—"

"Russell?" Maribel interrupts before Russell could lose his cool in front of Charlie. "I thought that this might happen so I brought someone for Charlie." It had been a pain to get Santana ready for this and it seemed that Russell and Judy hadn't prepared Charlie for it at all. She doesn't need to push Santana forward as her daughter is quickly heading towards Charlie who was still sniffling loudly.

" _Thank you_." Russell whispered watching as Santana hugged Charlie tightly.

Charlie's still crying, though not nearly as pathetically as before. He wipes his nose on Santana's shoulder and she frowns when she looks to see the leftover snot.

"Ew gross." She grumbles. She doesn't like it when Charlie cries, but she doesn't know what to do. "Stop crying."

Charlie rubs his nose. "Sorry," he mumbles. "I just wanna go to class with you."

"Mami says you can't." Santana huffs. She's cried and screamed about this for weeks, but her parents told her that they couldn't change it. Papi said that school would make Charlie happy but he doesn't _look_ happy at all. "But we can play at recess and after school."

"You'll still want to play with me?" Charlie's tears are drying quickly on his cheeks at the thought.

"Of course, dummy." Santana shakes her head.

"Promise?" Charlie asks his lip wobbling.

Santana smiles and leans forward biting Charlie's shoulder hard, causing him to cry out a bit. "Promise."

Charlie sniffles and wipes his nose again, "Okay," he said quietly.

Santana nods and pats him on the head, "No more crying it's for _babies_ , and I don't like babies."

Charlie nods his head eagerly and turns to his dad and grabs his suit jacket to wipe his face. "Better?"

"No," Russell gripes looking at the snot and tear stain on his jacket. He had just gotten this cleaned.

Santana nods, "Yes. Now go be a big boy and go learn."

"Okay," Charlie nods and turns to go to his classroom picking up his backpack from the ground, before pausing and running back to Santana. "Be nice to Quinton," he lectures.

" _Fine_." Santana whines and shakes her head, she didn't want to be nice to Quinton. "I promise. I'll see you at recess."

Charlie nods and heads off to his classroom.

Russell looked at Santana, "How do you do that?" He asked completely serious.

"Charlie's _mine_ ," Santana explains to him, and shakes her head. It was obvious and Mr. Fabray needed to pay attention more. Charlie wasn't difficult, he just needed to be comforted. She glances at Charlie once more before turning around to see her mother. "I'm ready to go to school now."

"Alright mija, remember to listen to your teachers and stay out of trouble." Maribel pauses for a moment and watches her daughter, "That means no fighting with Quinton!"

Santana scoffs, everyone said that but it really was Quinton who always started it. He wasn't a very good alpha. He was a bit of a baby and he still didn't understand that Charlie was hers. "I promised Charlie I'd be nice, but it's _Quinton_." She wasn't going to make any promises that she knew she wouldn't keep.


	3. Chapter 3

They're eleven and at the end of their school year when Quinton notices that something was really wrong. Santana had been grouchy all day and she nearly bit _Charlie's_ head off at lunch today. Finally fed up when she doesn't stop scowling at him, he leans across the aisle. "What's _your_ problem?"

"You." She slumps back in her seat. Today was the last day of school, she should be really happy. But really she just feels miserable, she's too hot and her body feels weird and she just wants this day to be over. "I'm sick of seeing your face all the time."

Quinton scowled back at her, "I'll let Charlie know that's how you feel," he crosses his arms over his chest and shakes his head. He doesn't even know why they're friends. But she's probably the only alpha he can stand, and that's only because he's been forced to ever since Charlie brought her home.

Santana reaches over to hit him but he ducks and flips her off. It's enough to draw the ire of their history teacher who scowls at them. "What? It's the last day you know no one is listening to you." Santana snaps at him causing the whole class to snort in amusement.

Quinton frowned, he was used to Santana's outbursts, but nothing like _this_. She generally kept her mouth shut when it came to teachers. "Are you _sure_ you're okay?" He questioned. "I'm only asking cause if you get sick again, Charlie's going to be annoying as hell again."

"I'm fucking _fine_ ," Santana snaps back at him grabbing her paper in front of her. "It's just fucking hot is all, when is this day going to be over?"

Quinton rolled his eyes and turned back to his own desk deciding to just ignore his crazy friend or rival, it was really hard to keep track of it. Sometimes he enjoyed Santana's company other times he really wanted to be the one to push her off a very tall cliff. Today was one of the days where he really wanted to push her off a cliff.

Dave Karofsky, the lug that sat in front of Santana suddenly stood up straighter. "Woah. Do you guys smell that? Somebody's in heat."

Quinton practically felt the pheromones hit him, he glanced over at Santana, ready to join her in the cruel mockery of their less intelligent classmates only Santana's face flushed beet red with shame. "Santana?" He whispered.

"Did somebody fall in _love_?" Karofsky joked.

Quinton rolled his eyes, immediately coming to Santana's defense. It was rare to see her too embarrassed to do anything. "Or you know, someone when into heat because that's what girls do. You don't seem me making fun of your gross pubes now do you?"

Dave went a deep red and whipped around in his chair to glare at Quinton as the rest of the class had a chuckle at his expense. "Yeah—well—" he stammers trying to think of something even though he knows how futile the attempt is. No one in the class was as quick as Quinton or Santana and Quinton looked like he wanted to find blood.

" _Enough_ ," the teacher in front said. He sighed, he was going to turn this into a teaching moment. "For women going through _heat_ is a perfectly normal response and at your age it means that you're finally going through puberty and becoming a woman. Since you're all alpha's in this class, it means that your heat will help you attract your omega in certain situations. It's also the time when your body is telling you that you _can_ get pregnant. I know some of you think it's hilarious, but the fact is this is a big deal. You can't mate with your omega until you've gone through puberty and you have." The teacher turns to Dave. "There's nothing to be ashamed of Dave all it means is that you've started to go through puberty and who knows you might be the first person in this room to find there mate."

Quinton rolled his eyes and looked over at Santana who still looked mildly embarrassed but there was a smirk on her face that almost made him fear for Charlie's life. Almost. Charlie seemed to _like_ whatever Santana did to him, it was gross and weird. He didn't get why Charlie liked spending so much time with Santana anyway and holding her hand. "Santana you can't—" Quinton looks up when the bell rings, signaling the end of school. He was free for the summer. A summer that he was going to spend lounging by the pool and trying to hang out with his sister's friends.

"Where is he?" Santana growls, mostly to herself. Her body feels like it's on _fire_ and as absolutely humiliating as this is, she knows that Charlie is the only one who can fix it. This is it. They can mate and then everything will work out.

Quinn runs to catch up with her, putting his smaller frame to block her path. "You _can't._ " He insists. "Charlie's not ready—"

"Like hell he isn't," Santana snaps shoving him out of her way. She enjoyed the fact that she was now nearly a head taller than Charlie and Quinton, it made it so much easier to get them to do what she wanted. She storms towards his locker following his scent and certainly not caring that she was now in omega space. Segregation was wrong. She spots Charlie emptying out his locker and dumping everything into his bag messily and moves towards him. "Charlie." She calls out ignoring the other omegas who seemed to be ogling her with wide eyes. She stops short, "Your hair still sucks."

"It doesn't suck, it's _cool_." Charlie ran his hand through his shaggy hair. It _was_ cool and Santana would learn to like it eventually.

"You look like _Brittany_." Santana scoffs. Charlie's hair is long enough that it keeps falling in his eyes and Santana's pretty sure she could even pull it into a small braid at the top.

Charlie crinkles his nose at this and goes back to dumping his stuff inside his bag. Santana was in one of her moods, he _liked_ his hair. All the omega girls in his class loved it too. "Whatever," he huffs at her and finishes cleaning out his locker. He bends over to zip up the bag when he's hit with a smell that makes him feel all warm on the inside. It's like all his favorite snacks combined and he glances up at Santana who was watching him. "Uh—" Charlie swallows. "You—uh smell—weird?"

Quinton stops and smacks his forehead at his brother's stupidity, glancing at the look on Santana's face. "Well, it was nice knowing you. By the way I'm going to get all your stuff when she kills you. That's how it works."

"I'm not going to _kill_ him." Santana shook her head, grabbing Charlie's arm a little rougher than she intended. "Come on, you're coming with me."

Charlie gulps. "I uh—I have soccer practice. But—"

Santana shakes her head. "I don't care. I'm starting my first heat and that means we can do it."

"Do what?" Charlie allows himself to be pulled down the hallway a little. Thankfully Quinn is keeping up with them because when he glances over at his twin Quinn takes pity on him.

"You can't mate with him because he hasn't gone through puberty yet." Quinn declares. He doesn't know why he even puts up with all of them.

"And how would _you_ know?" Santana scoffs.

"Because we're _identical."_ Quinn rubs his brow tiredly. It's the last day of school, they should be doing something _fun_ not talking about sex and stuff. "I told you, he's _not_ ready."

Santana frowns, stepping toward Charlie purposefully. She pulls the front of his gym shorts forward and glances down. There wasn't much down there to look at. "That's it?"

"It's bigger than Quinn's." Charlie grumbles. He glances up at a teacher who was walking by. "Hey Mr. Martinez!"

Mr. Martinez turned and raised a brow, staring at the sight in front of him, he like all the other teachers were used to seeing the antics of Santana Lopez and the Fabray twins but this was a first for him. "Uh? What are you two doing?"

Charlie scratches his head, "I don't know, what are we doing Santana?"

"Well apparently nothing because you haven't gone through puberty yet. Now what am I supposed to do!" Santana groans letting go of Charlie's waistband so it snaps back. "We're supposed to have sex so we can mate!"

"Not in the halls," Mr. Martinez says shaking his head and walking away.

Charlie scrunched his face up, "Okay? I thought you just had to bite me Santana. So do that and then we can be mates right?"

Santana grins, and she thought he was simple. She leans forward and bites Charlie hard on the shoulder leaving a bruise. She expects sparks or something that signifies that their bond is complete but like every other time she's bitten Charlie, she gets nothing. She lets go and shoves him away. " _Useless_."

~O~

Puberty nearly killed Santana, not because of the raging hormones or the awkward growth spurts that left her taller than the twins. No, it nearly killed her because she was _ready_ at eleven and Charlie didn't even start puberty until he was fourteen. That was three years of summers spent with her Papi's family in Puerto Rico because her parents didn't trust her to spend too much time alone with Charlie. She wasn't quite sure if her parents didn't trust _her_ or they didn't trust Charlie. Though if she thought about it, they probably didn't trust her to not "sexually harass" poor innocent Charlie. It wasn't as if she hadn't seen him naked before, they had bathed together when they were kids. And even if they hadn't, Charlie was _hers._ He was her mate, so technically his body belonged to her anyway. But he had started going through puberty during the school year and her parents and Charlie's had immediately clamped down on them. They were too "young" and Charlie had just started puberty and he was far too innocent to be corrupted or whatever bullshit that her parents tried to feed her.

Which was why she had walked over to the Fabray household the moment her parents had gone over to work. She was attempting to surprise Charlie, who still thought she was in Puerto Rico. Maybe they could finally get some alone time and they could finally _mate_. She pushed the doorbell and fixed her hair, she had hated going to Puerto Rico and leaving Charlie behind, but she wasn't a child anymore.

She stands up straight, only to sigh in disappointment when it's Brittany that answers the door with a squeal of excitement. She likes Brittany, really. The Fabrays are practically her extended family. But Brittany isn't _Charlie_.

"Santana! You're not supposed to be home for another week." Brittany steps outside, enveloping Santana in a tight hug.

"Yeah, Mami had to get back for a case. Is he home?" She glances over Brittany's shoulder hopefully.

"He?" Brittany smirked knowingly. "He who?" She likes Santana a lot and at eighteen, she really should be above this. But she's not. Santana and Charlie are just so adorable she wants to squish them, so stringing out her discomfort is her duty as the older sister.

"Brittany—" Santana whined. It wasn't _fair_!

"He went for a run." Brittany smiles, taking pity on the young alpha. "But just so you know, I am under strict instructions not to leave the two of you alone."

"Of course you are." Santana huffs, rolling her eyes as she lets Brittany lead her into the main living room. Thankfully Brittany's not as much of an annoying rule follower as Quinton is, which means Santana can use this to her advantage. "How much will it take to get you to leave me alone?"

"How much do you have?"

Santana's about to answer when another tall blonde blur, grabs her arm and yanks her away. For a moment she thinks it's Charlie before the smell of Quinton Fabray hits her senses. He had gotten taller and he looked stronger, still a bit gangly and he was still skinny. "The fuck Quinn? I don't want to see you!"

" _Shut up_ , and follow me." Quinn hissed barely sparing a glance at Brittany as he shoves Santana into his room. He pauses for a moment to look back at Brittany before he slips into his room and slams the door close.

Santana manages to catch herself and frowns at Quinton crinkling her nose. "Gross what the hell have you been doing in here? Is that—" Santana points at the wads of tissue paper that are currently filling up his waste basket and gags. "The fuck Quinton?"

" _Focus_." Quinton snaps at Santana shaking his head. "I—fuck this is embarrassing. You and Charlie—how the hell did you know that he was your _mate_ or whatever."

Santana stares at him and shrugs, if Charlie wasn't here then she'd have to deal with whatever _this_ was. "I just know okay? I mean Charlie's always smelt different, better than everyone else even my own parents. I mean to me he smells like—well my abuela's cooking. You know, like the way he smells is warm and comforting and when he hugs me, like it just makes me feel weird on the inside. He's _always_ made me feel like that, like it's my job to protect him. Which is hard work because your brother can be an idiot sometimes. Remember his skateboarding phase? He was so fucking bad at it." Santana eyes Quinton carefully he seems to be considering her words carefully which was surprising. Quinton _never_ listened to her. "I don't see why you couldn't ask Charlie about this."

"Because he just shrugged and said: 'it's Santana.' Like that explained everything to me that I needed to know." Quinton frowned and sighed. "I think—I think I found her."

"You think?" Santana wasn't buying it. She didn't remember meeting Charlie the first time very well, but she's always _known_ it was Charlie. Even when idiot teachers that still hadn't found _their_ mates yet tried to tell her she'd find someone else, she knew they were wrong. There could never be anyone but Charlie. Even if he was a bit slow, and the least romantic person on the planet, and had the worst haircuts ever, it was always going to be her and Charlie. But she also hated it when people told her that she was too young to know for sure, so she bit her tongue.

Quinn starts to pace. "I mean I know, or I think I know? I don't know. She's a friend of Brittany's and I _literally_ just saw her for half a second when we picked Brittany up from her—it doesn't even _matter_ because I might not ever see her again, but it's got to be her, right? No, that's stupid."

"Woah, slow down." Santana wasn't even sure if she caught all of that. "Start from the beginning."

"We went to pick up Brittany from her dance thing, and she was talking to this girl—Rachel she said her name was Rachel and I only got a whiff." Quinton exhales. He runs his hand over his short cropped hair. "But I can't stop thinking about her. So I'm begging you, _please_ , how did you know Charlie was it?"

Santana sighs, she had been _three_ when she had met Charlie and she _truly_ couldn't remember their meeting. It's just something that she's always known. Something that _they've_ always known even if Charlie hadn't been as verbal or as physical about it. "If you're feeling this distressed about it, if all you can think about is her then it's _probably_ her. So my advice talk to Brittany and go find her and you know—don't be a fucking asshole. You want her to like you."

It is a testament to how freaked out Quinton must be that he just nods. "Okay, yeah. I can do that."

Santana almost laughs in Quinn's face, but the sound of the front door slamming closed snaps her attention. Almost instantly the sweet familiar scent of Charlie invades her senses and she stumbles out of Quinn's room on instinct. Her feet lead her to the kitchen where Charlie is rooting around in the fridge. She waits for a moment but Charlie has never been much of a multi-tasker. "Since when did you _run_?" She questions watching in amusement as Charlie's head snaps up smacking the top of the fridge.

Charlie slowly retracts himself from the fridge rubbing his head, he turns around it couldn't be Santana. Santana was supposed to be in Puerto Rico for another week. He had simply thought that the smell that was in his house was some delicious food not—Santana. A slow grin crosses his face when he sees her and he immediately takes a step forward to pull her into a hug. When did she get so short? He knows better than to ask that question. "I thought you'd appreciate my new abs." He gestures to his stomach that's _totally_ starting to form into a six pack.

"What abs?" Santana scoffs, not letting go of him. She hates going to stupid Puerto Rico, but at least it means that she gets to come home.

"You're _kidding._ " Charlie pulls back. He had followed Quinton to the gym every day, he had eaten broccoli and brussel sprouts, because Brittany had pinched his cheek and commented on his baby fat. He didn't want to be chubby all his life and Quinton was getting all this attention from girls. He didn't want _other_ girls, he just wanted Santana to look at him like that.

"Sure." Santana shrugs, narrowing her eyes. "What did you do to your hair, you look like a douche." She's been trying to get him to cut his hair all last school year and he does it when she's _gone_. He's supposed to consult with her on important decisions like this.

"I got the same one that Quinton got," Charlie says defensively his hand going to his hair. He had really wanted Santana to come back and be blown away by all his changes.

"I rest my case," Santana said dismissively reaching up to run a hand through his hair, he did look good and most of the baby fat was indeed gone, but he didn't have any abs and she had liked it when he was a bit pudgy, instead of this beanpole thing that he had going on. There had been more of him to love and to cuddle with. But at least he's taller now, so maybe that means—"Pants check." She immediately reaches for Charlie's shorts to check out if he's grown any bigger since the last time she's checked.

Charlie grins proudly when she pulls back his shorts, knowing that at least _this_ time she isn't going to be disappointed. "Five inches," he informs her proudly, feeling his dick start to stand to attention for Santana's inspection. When she looks at him he flushes a bit, "I measured."

Santana glances down and reaches down so she could touch it, feeling it pulse underneath her fingertips. "Good, that's good—I think." Santana shrugs at this statement, all she knew was that he had pubes now, which meant that he was well into puberty. Which meant that they could _finally_ mate.

It's not the first time that Santana's touched him there, but it's the first time that he's felt it all the way through his body. He wanted her to do it again and again, and do other things to him. "I didn't know you were coming today—I'm all sweaty," Santana looks up at him and his hazel eyes dance with hidden mischief and confidence. "So I'm going to go take a shower and maybe you know you can come with me, you know like we used to?" He wiggles his eyebrows suggestively.

"You mean when we were _five_." Santana scoffs. She's trying to be careful not to get her hopes up even as she feels a surge of affection for him. She would never admit it, but she loved his slightly dorky side. But she's been on the receiving end of _way_ too many lectures about respecting Charlie and not pushing him until he's ready.

"I hope not." Charlie snickers. "I was thinking we could, maybe—you know." He blushes a little. He's missed Santana a _lot_. "I—uh—you know bought condoms," he whispers the last part his face turning a bright red.

Santana blinks and looks at Charlie, wondering if he was being serious. "You went into a store and bought condoms?"

"Uh—well not me exactly, I mean I gave Brittany money and she got them for me but I bought condoms," Charlie insists quietly. "I—you know—missed you a lot, and I—thought about you— _alot_." His father had gotten pissed about all his long showers and his mom had been irritated that he had finished all of her expensive lotion.

Santana kisses him hard, weeks of missing him building up into this moment. She bites his bottom lip and tugs on it a bit, this was it. They were going to do it they were going to become mates and everything would just fall into place—

Charlie feels himself being tugged away firmly from Santana and he stumbles back landing on his ass. "The fu—" He begins planning to yell at the person who had pulled him away from his nirvana when he sees his dad and his mother. Neither one of them looks particularly pleased and it's enough to kill his boner.

Santana coughs embarrassed, and waves at Charlie's parents. At this point they really should be used to this by now, they had broken _so_ many rules. "Hey Mr. and Mrs. Fabray," Santana winces at the look they give her. "I'm back from Puerto Rico."

"We can see that," Russell notes and looks at his son who has a guilty look on his face. The two of them had been attached at the hip since they were toddlers, it wasn't a phase that they had grown out of, it was real. They were mates, and everyone knew it. "All because you're both capable of mating with each other doesn't mean that you _should_. Sex is a big deal."

"We _know_." Santana agrees. She's heard this spiel before—probably more times than Charlie has from every single one of their parents. "But it's not like we haven't talked about it. Nor is it like we're disrespecting each other."

"And Brittany had sex when _she_ was fourteen and you guys didn't even care." Charlie agrees, somehow managing to sound petulant while his face is flaming red from embarrassment.

"She _what_?"

Judy puts her hand placatingly on her husband's arm, hoping that he doesn't get too distracted. "I can promise you, we _did_ care and we will be talking to her about that. But that was a different situation. Brittany wasn't bonding with her mate for the rest of her life."

"But how long did it take you and mom to mate after you met?" Charlie challenges, then instantly frowns. He's not sure if he actually wants to know the answer to that. In fact, he's sure he doesn't want the answer to that.

"That's not the point and you know it." Judy disagrees, glancing over at her husband who is still fuming at the idea of his firstborn losing her virginity so early. While she had known the day it happened, Brittany had avoided her husband for long enough that he hadn't picked up on the scent. "You two are still _children_. Both we and Santana's parents agree, you two are _far_ too young to mate."

Russell pinches the bridge of his nose and tries to focus on the problem at hand. He would have a talk with Brittany later. It figures that Maribel would sneak home without preparing him and force him to be the bad guy here. To be fair, she normally corralled Santana and kept issues like this from popping up, but it didn't mean he liked it one bit. "What's next? You want to move in together and start a family? You haven't even started _high school_."

"I've been on birth control since my first heat," Santana says with a shrug. "We're going to finish school—and getting jobs and doing all that adult stuff, but we're different from well everyone. We've known we were mates since the day I tackled him and bit him. He's _mine_. He's always been mine. That's eleven years. How much more waiting do you want us to do?" They couldn't watch them _all_ the time and her parents basically left her with an empty house. "Most people don't even wait a day, we've waited eleven years. We're ready to mate."

"Yeah, what she said," Charlie said standing up and dusting himself off. They'd been friends for years, and they were practically attached at the hip anyway, just not in the way that he sort of wanted right now. "I'm ready. I pushed for it today, not Santana. That's got to mean something right?"

"What it means—is that you're a horny fourteen year old boy who is thinking with the wrong head. Don't think I'm not aware that it's you who has been stealing your mother's lotion all summer, you're also the one that's been raising the water bill by fifty dollars a month." Russell retorts dryly, watching as his son turned a bright red. "You want to mate then you'll wait until you're sixteen."

"When you're _both_ sixteen," Judy adds. Charlie turned sixteen a few months before Santana did, which meant a few extra months of Charlie being her baby boy.

Santana exchanges a quick look with Charlie, there was no way in hell she was waiting two more years. She doubted they'd ever really accept it. So instead of arguing the point, she simply smiles. "Fine, we'll wait," she lies with ease.

Russell snorts, he doesn't believe her for a second. "Fine, but to make it easier on the two of you we're going to talk to your parents Santana and come up with some house rules." He smirks when Santana's jaw drops, they were all going to need to be proactive about this and if that meant that they were going to watch Santana every night until it was time for her to go home then so be it. Brittany was off to college soon so it would all work out.


	4. Chapter 4

Brittany's about to offer Rachel a ride home from their dance class when she scowls and remembers that her parents confiscated her keys. Stupid brother. Her dad never would have known about it if he had just kept his stupid mouth shut. She's eighteen and it's not like her parents should really even care. "My _mom_ is coming to get me, but if you still want a ride—"

Rachel hesitates. She and Brittany usually trade off driving back from dance during the week and since it was Thursday she had just assumed Brittany would be taking her home. She could wait for her dad to come pick her up or bring the car, but that seems like it would take a while. "I don't know, I don't want to be an inconvenience."

Brittany shakes her head and throws her duffel bag over her shoulder. "It's not a big deal, they're probably already waiting." Quinton had been oddly weird about tagging along with their mom and picking her up from her stuff. She'd asked him about it, but he blushed furiously and ran up to his room, so she's pretty sure it's some weird boy thing. "Fair warning, my brother will probably be there too."

"Charlie?"

"No, the mostly normal one. Quinn. Although he's been really weird, so just ignore him if he says anything weird."

Rachel nodded, smirking as she grabbed her own bag. "Sure."

Just as Brittany had predicted, Judy was already waiting out front. Brittany rolled her eyes at the sight of Quinn waiting outside the car like he was trying to be cool or something. What a loser. She waits until she's close enough that she doesn't have to yell. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing." He shrugs nervously, not meeting their eyes.

"Okay." Brittany eyed him carefully. "Get in Rachel."

"You can sit up front, I'll—just, uh—"

Now Brittany knew something was up. Shotgun had the most legroom and Quinton was enough an ass that he put his chair all the way back. She turns to look at Rachel who was studying Quinton carefully. She leans in, "Quinton, I told Rachel that you were the _normal_ one, stop being weird, just push your seat up, we'll sit in the back. I want to talk to Rachel about what we learned in dance class today."

Quinton opens his mouth to say something but he notices that Rachel is staring at him and his throat goes dry. "Ri—right," his voice cracks at the most inopportune time and he sinks in his seat when Rachel shoots him an amused look. He fucking hated puberty, all this body changing was crap and embarrassing.

Brittany slides into the back seat and tosses her bag into the back as Rachel slides in after her. She flicks her eyes to Quinton for a moment before shaking her head and launching into the latest choreography that she had mentally envisioned. "That's what you should do for your NYADA audition Rachel. It'll totally get you in. It's complicated but you need to show them that you're a triple threat. Singing, dancing, acting. You want to be on Broadway right? You're going to need to do all three."

"Of course, I'll need to pick the perfect song—" Rachel agrees, she feels someone watching her and looks forward to meet Quinn's eyes staring at her. "Oh." She startles a little. "Hi?"

Brittany glares at her brother. "What are you doing?" She turns to Judy, "Mom, tell Quinton to stop being weird and staring at Rachel."

"Quinton, why don't you look forward?" Judy warns, glancing over at her son curiously. He's acting odd. "I don't want you getting car sick and throwing up all over your sister and her friend."

" _Mom_." Quinn cried. He couldn't _believe_ she would say that in front of Rachel.

"Eyes up front." She reminds. She doesn't feel bad at all. If he _does_ get sick (which would not be the first time) it would be far more embarrassing.

Brittany shakes her head. "Sorry about that."

"No." Rachel smiles reassuringly turning to her friend. "It's fine. I just—" She furrows her brow when she feels it again. She doesn't want to embarrass Brittany's brother, he's kind of cute after all and smells better than anyone else she's ever met, but he's _fourteen_.

Brittany looks up when Rachel pauses and catches Quinn watching her in the mirror embedded in her visor. " _Quinton_. What the fuck—"

"Brittany." Judy barks. "Quinton, you leave your sister and her friend _alone_."

"You're _so_ pretty." Quinn sighs into the mirror before Judy reaches over and slams the visor back to the top of the car.

Rachel blushes furiously. She's fairly certain Quinton didn't mean to say that out loud which meant that he probably didn't intend for her to hear that. She knew she wasn't ugly, but never before had someone fawned over her so openly. It was almost sweet, if not for the fact that he was fourteen it might even be cute. Unfortunately, all it ended up being was awkward. "Thanks?" She bit her lip.

"Why do you have to be such a freak?" Brittany banged her head against the back of the seat. Rachel was a friend—a fairly good one at that. They had even talked about rooming together if they both went to New York and Quinn was going to ruin it. "I take it back, you're _definitely_ not the normal one."

"Don't be so hard on him." Rachel isn't sure why she feels the need to defend this young alpha, but the words slip out of her before she even thinks them. She's grateful that Judy turns the corner to her fathers' house. Mercifully, the car pulls to a stop before she has to worry about saying anything else. "Thank you so much for the ride Mrs. Fabray."

"Call me Judy, please, and it was no trouble at all."

"See you Brittany," She glances at the young alpha in the front seat and settles for the first thing she can think of. "It was nice meeting you Quinton."

Quinton turns a bright red and sinks down in his seat and waves lamely to Rachel, "Nice meeting you Rachel." His voice cracks again and he slinks down in his seat, she was definitely his _mate_.

Brittany waves at Rachel before waiting until she's inside her house before leaning in and smacking Quinton upside the head, "What was that?"

Quinton tears his eyes off Rachel's house for a moment and looks at Brittany and then his mother, they were each giving him a strange look. "What was what?" He clears his throat when his voice cracks again and shakes his head.

" _That_. What was that?" Brittany insists staring at Quinton, even Charlie had better social graces than that, and he could actually talk to other women without coming off as some weirdo.

"That was your brother having a crush on an omega," Judy filled in looking at Quinton who flushed. She reached over to pinch his cheek. "It happens, if you need more tissues let me know."

"Gross."

" _Mom._ " Quinn whined.

"I know it's hard for you watching Charlie with Santana but you'll find your mate one day." Judy assures. Sometimes she forgets that for all of the talks they've given Charlie and Santana about sex, Quinton hasn't been subjected to the same. "But maybe I'll send your brother over to Santana's and you, your father and I can sit down and talk about your changing body."

Quinn sunk down in his seat. This was absolutely mortifying. "Can we not?"

"Can I take video?" Brittany chuckled at his embarrassment.

"Brittany, if you don't have anything helpful to add—it's not nice to make fun of Quinton. Rachel seems like a nice girl; I mean I do find it a bit suspect that she has the same build as Santana though."

"She does _not_." Quinn grumbles. Rachel is the prettiest girl he's ever seen. She doesn't look anything like Santana. Santana is dumb and sure she's a decent friend half the time but there's _nothing_ great about her. Rachel is totally different.

Brittany pauses thoughtfully. "No, yeah, I can see that. You're right mom. Aw, Quinnie, that's adorable."

Quin sunk even lower in his chair, his cheeks bright red. He needed to find a way to talk to Rachel without coming off like a child, or an idiot. Preferably when Brittany wasn't anywhere near them and _definitely_ away from his mom. He wondered if Rachel could smell it too.

~O~

"Mmm, I missed this." Santana hums as Charlie kisses her jawline. Her parents were rarely home, but the Fabrays had been on the patrol lately. So maybe Charlie had lied about soccer tryouts for the school team, and instead of heading towards the field he had simply walked to Santana's place. They were together and really that was all that mattered.

"Me too." Charlie agrees. He flushes a bit and adjusts his hardon in his shorts, this was it. They were going to _do_ it. He bites his lip nervously, "Uh—I did bring over some condoms. You know—safety first."

Part of her wants to laugh— _safety_?—she's just as nervous as he is, but she's the alpha and _someone_ has to pretend to know what they are doing. She nods despite the butterflies flittering in her stomach. "Good, that was smart."

He beams at the praise. "I just—uh—really want this."

She kisses him, pushing him back against her pillows. He responds eagerly, and she could feel the his hardon through his shorts. "Someone's excited to see me." She says and instantly cringes. It was so _cheesy_ , she had always thought that she would be much cooler when this time came.

But Charlie grins like he doesn't even notice. He did, but he loves it when Santana's a little sappy. It's a side that only he gets to see, and it makes this feel even more special. He loved her more than anything, he had always loved her even when he had no idea that the reason his stomach got all weird around Santana was because he had feelings for her. "Always," he murmurs kissing her again. This was so much better than all of his fantasies.

This was it, in a few short days school was finally going to start and she was going to have it all. She was going to become a cheerleader, and more importantly she was going to be the only alpha who had her mate. It was important because Charlie was quickly coming into his looks, and she knew by the time he was fully grown if he continued to work out like he did, he was going to be the hottest boy in McKinley. So long as he got the right haircut. She shudders feeling Charlie's fingers start to roam her body, paying special attention to her breasts. "As fun as watching you grope my boobs for hours is, we don't have all day Charlie, so let's get straight to the main course."

He gulps and nods a couple more times than is actually needed. He could do this, he could have sex with Santana. It was simply in the hips, and he'd have to go slow first—he had read that it might hurt the first time and that was the last thing he wanted. He grips Santana's shirt and tugs it off quickly. He's immediately taken in by her boobs and stares openly at them. He had never really seen Santana shirtless before. Sure there had been bikinis but not like this, at least not since they had been children.

Santana gently nudges his head with hers, "Focus Charlie," she instructs taking charge, she sits up and wiggles out of the rest of her clothes, feeling a bit self-conscious when Charlie can't seem to take his eyes off her. He was such a dork.

"Right." He slips off his boxers stumbling a little in his haste. His dick is practically throbbing. He pauses and looks at Santana scratching his head. He stops as if remembering something and immediately reaches for his shorts, fumbling around for the condom that he had put in his wallet. "Where is it?"

Santana watches him fumble around a bit, that panicked look in his eye and takes pity on him. "Charlie you don't need it today, I'm on birth control and my last heat was a month ago which means I have two more and I—sorta want to _feel_ you—you know?"

Charlie drops his pants and nods biting his lip, "O-okay," he stutters and swallows. This was it, he was going to have sex with his best friend, and the person he loved more than anyone else in the world. He moves to the bed and kisses Santana again, feeling her hands on his chest and then shoulders guiding him as she lays back down.

He pauses, kneeling over her his dick is practically leaking but he holds back. "Uh—so, should I just."

"Fuck Charlie, just—" She huffs and puts her hands on his hips, pulling him closer. He finally wraps his own hand around his dick to guide it inside of her, though he hesitates yet again and stares at her holes curiously. "I swear if you put it in my butt I will cut it off."

Charlie pales for a moment and nods before slowly pressing his dick against her opening, it felt _good_ and warm and wet and he can't help himself as he pushes his hips forward, taking Santana's virginity in one smooth motion. Being inside her is heavenly and he lets out a throaty groan, before remembering that he might have moved too fast. "Are you okay?"

"Just—yes—I need _more_." She grunts, pushing her hips forward. His initial entry had made her feel slightly uncomfortable but it felt _right_. He felt right, now they just needed to get this thing going. They could explain this to their parents later.

He thrusts his own hips to meet her, pushing into her and pulling back. Sex was _awesome_. Sex with Santana certainly beat using his hand, and he didn't even need to use any lotion. He speeds up a bit, trying to find his rhythm, but it feels too good, and it feels like Santana was made for him. He grunts again and after a few more quick pumps he orgasms. A huge goofy smile crosses his face, "Wow," he mumbles.

"Wow what? Why are you stopping?" She nearly cries out in frustration. It was just starting to feel good. She's close, almost at the edge and she can't figure out why he's pulled away completely.

He rolls over onto the bed beside her, breathing heavily. "That was amazing."

"Amazing?" She sits up, glancing over to his softening dick in frustration. It's not supposed to be getting _soft_ , she's still miles away from some sort of release. "You're _done_?"

"Well yeah. Didn't you think?" He glances over at her with a big dopey grin. "I didn't hurt you, right?"

"No, you didn't fucking hurt me." Santana spits, flopping back against the bed and balling up her fists at the side of her head. This wasn't _fair_. She'd been waiting for him for _years_ and all he lasts is a couple of cheap thrusts?

"Oh good." He slides up closer to her, wanting her close to him. They hadn't bonded, sure, they'd probably have to do it when he could last a little longer but this was new and wonderful.

She pushes him away, "How long was it?" She mutters to herself, glancing over to the clock to confirm that it had only been two stupid ass minutes.

"Pretty long." Charlie comments obliviously. He'd tried to hold on and was pretty proud of himself for lasting as long as he did.

She glanced at him like he had grown another head. Eleven _years._ That's how long they had been waiting. Okay for most of that she didn't know exactly what she was missing, but _eleven years_ without Charlie being hers. And it was only two _minutes_? She wants to call him out on it and inform him that two minutes didn't count as _sex_ but he's got that dopey pleased smile on his face and she bites back the scathing commentary. "Can you go again?"

Charlie blinks at the request, "It was that good for you?" He questions surprised, he had never really tried doing it again after orgasming. If he was being honest with himself he felt sort of tired.

She debates lying to him, but she can't do it when he puffs out his chest. She couldn't let him think he was some idiot savant when it came to sex. It was mostly the idiot part right now. "No, that's why I'm asking if you can go again."

"Uh—I don't think so." Charlie admits crinkling his nose. "We can try again another time right?"

"No we _can't_ just try again. This was our shot you idiot. You think we're going to get another chance with my parents gone and yours distracted?"

"Well, yeah—I mean your parent's aren't really home that much so—"

She grabs a pillow and smacks him with it as hard as she can. "Get out." Now is not the time for him to be commenting on her absent parents, especially when he couldn't last more than two minutes.

"What?" Charlie's brow furrowed, this wasn't supposed to be happening. He was supposed to be cuddling with Santana on her bed and kissing her some more and maybe playing with her boobs.

"I said get out," Santana snaps at him shoving him off her bed. She wasn't even going to be able to get herself off. Now that she and Charlie had been so close, her methods of dealing with this frustration wouldn't work anymore.

He fumbles around for his pants, he frowns and looks at Santana for a moment. "I'm sorry?" It had always worked before when Santana was mad at him.

"Get _out_." She groans again. She wasn't going to admit that her parents were _right_. Not today, and maybe not ever.

"Okay, but—" He pauses to see if she's going to change her mind. When it's clear that she won't he smiles apologetically. "I love you."

She rolls over and ignores him. It's enough that she's not yelling at him, but whatever he's done he's pretty sure that she's furious with him. At least they got to have sex—maybe that's why she hasn't murdered him completely.

She waits until she's sure she hears the front door shut and sighs against the mattress. "Love you too, idiot."

~O~

Judy tilts her head when she hears the front door close and crinkles her nose, someone had just had sex. Quinton and Brittany were around the house somewhere and she knew that Russell hadn't done anything. Immediately she puts down the carrot that she had been chopping and grabs the towel to dry her hands moving towards the smell. She frowns when she notices Charlie attempting to sneak upstairs. " _Charles Regan Fabray_."

Charlie freezes and swallows turning to face his mother. First Santana was upset with him and now this? "We didn't bond?" When his mother's glare doesn't lessen he swallows again. "I love you mom? Did you do something with your hair? You look really pretty today."

"That hasn't worked since you were three years old Charles," Judy marched up to him and immediately pulled his shirt collar to check his shoulders, Santana's favorite spot to bite Charlie had always been his shoulder, but they are remarkably bare at this moment. "What were you thinking?"

The noise is enough to bring Quinton out of his room and he crinkles his nose in disgust. "Really Charlie?"

Charlie rubs his head, "I was thinking that we got our first minutes alone in months and—" He blushes. _and it was amazing._ He wanted to gush, or scream or _something_ but he definitely wasn't going to do it to his mother and twin brother. "—And I _love_ her."

Judy frowned, it was going to be impossible for them to keep the two of them apart since they started having sex, the call to bond with each other would only get worse. "You're grounded, no phone or video games or dessert for a month. You go to school and you come straight back home and more importantly no Santana."

"You can't be _serious_." Charlie's jaw dropped. He had already spent all summer without her. "But _mom_."

"All because you've gone through puberty does not mean that you're ready to start complicating things with sex. So until I can be sure that you and Santana aren't going to start engaging in risky behaviors, no Santana. Now go to your room."

"But _mom_ —" Charlie begins, Santana was upset with him and how was he going to make it better. He still didn't have any classes with her and she was going to be busy being a cheerleader.

"No buts Charlie, your father is going to be extremely disappointed in you now go to your room," Judy insists watching as Charlie's face went red for a moment but he did as he was told and stomped up the stairs loudly. She had thought that having boys was going to be easier than having girls but Brittany had never been _this_ bad.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Well, I apologize for last weeks little mix up. I didn't end up checking like I normally do, and didn't notice. That story was merely a preview, an idea of sorts, that I was running by my s. But back to our regularly scheduled early update because I'll be busy this weekend.  
**

* * *

Quinn knows it's a little pathetic, but whatever. It's not like Brittany's facebook password is complicated, _ducks rule_ isn't exactly completely secure especially when that's Brittany's password for everything. Quinn definitely doesn't want Rachel thinking he's creepy so this seemed like the best option.

"I hate your brother." Santana grumbles from the bed.

Quinn rolls his eyes with a sigh. He wouldn't have spent the day over here if he had another option, but the minimal parental interference at Santana's house was the perfect setting to find out more about his mate. "Can you just get over it already? He's grounded anyway, so I don't see the point in being mad at him. It's not like you can get him to fix it."

"He's _grounded_ because he couldn't finish what he started. If we had bonded, your parents would have dealt with it, so it's his fault."

"You don't make any sense."

"Why are we friends again Q-tip?"

"Because I'm the only one who can stand you."

She sticks out her tongue. "I hate you."

"Whatever." He shrugs away her annoyance and clicks on the button to show the next picture. "Do you see how _gorgeous_ she is? How in the hell am I supposed to impress her when she got first place in her dance competition?"

"By lasting more than two minutes." Santana scoffs, well aware that her comment is going to go over Quinn's head. She sighs and picks up a magazine that will hopefully hold her attention. "I mean, it looks like she is six or something, so it's probably not that big of a deal."

He smiles softly and clicks back on Rachel's profile to see if she's updated her status, "She likes music. We should start a band." He notes.

"We? What's this _we_ business?" Santana snorts.

"I need to _impress_ her. I mean she probably thinks I'm just a stupid fourteen-year-old _kid_."

Santana put down the magazine to stare at Quinton. "I might be biased because your brother is an idiot, but you are a _stupid_ fourteen-year-old kid. In case you haven't realized by the fact that I've been ready for _years_ and needed to wait for your dumbass brother, but girls mature faster than guys in _both_ ways. Physically and mentally. So maybe instead of coming up with dumb solutions to a problem like starting a band, when neither one of us can play any instruments, why don't you come up with a good solution. Like maybe not coming off as such a fucking child?"

"You don't know what it's like." Quinn snaps before he can stop himself.

"Don't I?" Santana challenges, raising her brow.

"It's not the same." Quinn insists. Just because Santana's been waiting to mate with Charlie since the dawn of time didn't mean that Quinn's problems were less important. She didn't _get_ it. Rachel was cool and talented and older. It wasn't the same. It wasn't even close. "You don't even remember what it's like to be apart from Charlie. You don't have to worry about whether he'll reject the bond—or worse, resent you because you're just some loser. I've got to _impress_ her."

Santana sighed. "I definitely know what it's like to meet your mate and not be able to do anything about it. But you're the alpha. So figure out your shit and quit whining like a little brat."

"Is that supposed to be a pep talk?" Quinn frowns

"Yes." Santana answers truthfully.

Quinn frowns, "You're one to talk. Charlie spent all summer busting his ass trying to get ready for you. He wanted to be ready for you even though it was physically impossible to do so. He didn't go through puberty till late, you should have seen how fucking happy he was to get pubes just so he could finally be with you. He wasn't ready. Charlie's your mate, everyone _knows_ that. Waiting a year or two doesn't matter, my brother has been obsessed with you since we were in pull-ups."

"Yeah well excuse me for being disappointed. He may have been waiting all summer, but I've been waiting for _three years_." Santana huffs.

"It was his first time." Quinn rolls his eyes. "He shot his load too quickly, but _you_ are his alpha. So if it pisses you off, _fix it_."

"How?"

"The hell should I know? I've never had sex with anyone before, but it's Charlie. So fix it." Quinn demands. He doesn't actually have to say it, since he knows that Santana will make it right eventually. But Charlie and Santana are annoying and them being apart is just weird for everyone when they are fighting.

"Urgh, I hate it when you're right. Your ego is already big enough." She frowns, thinking. "I guess we can skip math together," She pauses then adds, "And Spanish." They are _going_ to mate. Then nobody can stop her from taking care of Charlie, ever. She can protect him without worrying about all those other high school bitches setting their sights on him.

Quinn pulls a face. "Gross." Maybe he should have waited to let Santana figure it out for herself. "Take it easy on the damn mating thing, you two are going to be mates. So work with my parents okay? I'm sick of Charlie stealing my phone and trying to call you."

"Doesn't he know I ignore about ninety percent of your calls anyway? And your texts?" Santana grumbles standing up. "As for Rachel, she probably knows that you're her mate, but maybe you should tell Brittany. If they're going to be roommates, then she can keep the alpha's away from her."

"That doesn't fix the 'now' problem."

"The now problem is that you're fourteen, and according to my mami the law doesn't care if you're mates or not. If your parents aren't letting me mate with Charlie and we've known each other since we were three, there is no way in hell they are letting you mate with an older woman. And I'll be fucking damned if you mate with her before I mate with Charlie. Get in line."

Quinn rolled his eyes, "Brittany's going to New York! I'm never going to see her again!"

"Brittany's going to New York, of course you're going to see her again Quinn. Just go and stay with Brittany for a weekend. Maybe make a shopping trip out of it or something. You know, say you're taking Charlie with you but leave him in my capable hands."

Quinn rolled his eyes again. "Please stop talking about my twin like that, it's _gross_. And why do you have to make everything about you and Charlie?"

"Because the alternative is listening you talk about some short little hobbit. Unless you're going to tell me the story about how you embarrassed yourself again, I don't want to hear it. Now hand me my laptop, I'm going to research ways on how to make Charlie last longer in bed. You can stay if you want, who knows you might learn something."

Quinton gagged and got up, he wasn't going to look at porn with Santana, that was _gross_ and he certainly didn't want to hear about Charlie naked in bed with her either. "I'm going home, thanks for the pep talk."

"Mhm, don't let the door hit you on the way out," Santana said dismissively.

~O~

Charlie rubbed the back of his head as he knocked on Brittany's door, being grounded _sucked_. Being made to eat his vegetables without the promise of his mother's delicious desserts, sucked even more. Having his phone taken was simply rubbing salt in his wounds. But the worst part about all of this was that Santana was mad at him and his parents wouldn't let him make it better. It was torture, the worst kind of torture. His parents were cruel evil people for doing this to him. But Brittany could help him figure it out. She was a girl, and an alpha and she liked Santana and knew her well enough. "Britt-Britt?" He whined at her door.

"Go away tattle-tale." Brittany grumbles, not bothering to get up. Siblings were supposed to have each other's back, not run to their parents and purposefully get them into trouble.

Charlie sniffles, Brittany hated seeing him cry and he had no problem using that to his advantage in defcon 1 situation like this. "I'm _sorry_ , I didn't think they'd care. I didn't mean to get you in trouble. But I really need your help—Santana is mad at me—and I can't fix it and even if I could I-I don't know what to do. And you're a girl and you can help me cause Quinton's terrible with feelings and stuff and I don't even know what I did wrong."

Brittany sighs, and gets off her beanbag chair to open the door for Charlie who immediately lunges at her wrapping his skinny arms around her and burying his face into her shoulder. "Tone it down Chuck, you got me to open the door."

Charlie pulls back a grin on his face, as he pushes past Brittany and flops down on her bean bag chair reaching and grabbing one of her stuffed animals. "Santana's mad at me and I don't know what I did."

Brittany grimaces but walks back to her bed. It's weird sometimes to think that her baby brother found his mate before any of them. "Well did you tell her parents you had sex? Because that's a sure-fire way to piss an alpha off."

"I'm _sorry_."

She rolls her eyes. "Whatever. Okay, well what did you do?"

"I don't _know_. I wouldn't be asking you if I knew."

"When did she get mad?"

Charlie's face flushed so red that Brittany could swear she could feel the heat from across the room. She arches her brow, waiting. If he was embarrassed that meant it was going to be good. "Well?" She prompts.

"It was after."

"After?" Brittany's furrowed brow turns into a bright grin, "Oh, you mean _after_. Well did you stick it up her ass?"

"No!"

"Are you _sure_?" Brittany asked, mostly teasing. She grins broadly when he simply squirms in discomfort and embarrassment.

"Yes I'm sure." He trusts Brittany with this information, she wouldn't be grossed out like Quinton would. "She said she'd cut _it_ off if I did." He blushes and pulls on the collar of his shirt.

Brittany laughs, it sounds like Santana alright. "Alright, so you two had sex—why didn't you two mate? I figured the first time you two did it, you'd be mated to her."

"Oh, it didn't last all that long," Charlie admits openly with a shrug.

Brittany arched a brow, "It didn't—last that long?"

"No, it felt really good though like super good and I just sort of—you know. It wasn't on purpose."

"Did Santana think it was good?" She wonders.

His silence is all the answer Brittany needs and she laughs again, this time a full blown cackle that would almost make her feel bad for laughing in her brother's face. She shouldn't find it so funny, but she just can't help it. He's so wounded that she can't even stop herself.

" _Brittany_." He whines, hiding his face. He should have known that this would be mortifying. "You said you would help."

"You didn't last long enough to mate and that's all Santana wants to do, it wasn't about the sex Charlie it was about mating and you didn't manage to do that. Why couldn't you just do it again, you're a teenage boy it's not that hard." Brittany snorts at her choice of words as Charlie blushes.

"Well, I tried to make it last as long as possible but Santana—it was like the best feeling in the word next to being with Santana and it just sort of happened. I don't know why it didn't happen for Santana."

Both kids jump when their father steps into Brittany's room. Based on how he didn't look either of them in the eye and kept fiddling with his necktie they both knew instantly that he had overheard. "You probably sped up because it felt so good, rookie mistake."

Charlie's eyes widened in horror. "Dad?"

"Boys and girls are different, Charlie." Russell immediately adjusts his tie again and clears his throat. "Doesn't matter if you're an omega or an alpha, there are certain things that as a man you must be able to do. That's please your mate, and while I don't condone what you did with Santana, you're my son and it's up to you to uphold the family name."

Charlie turned to Brittany who seemed amused by this turn of events, "I don't understand."

"I mean that we Fabray's are excellent lovers." Russell puffed out his chest. "Just ask your mother."

Brittany's amusement dies and Charlie groans. "Dad, I seriously didn't need to know that." She notes with disdain.

"I'm being frank, if both of you are going to insist on doing adult things before you're ready then it's my duty as a father to prepare you as best as I can." He watches as Brittany and Charlie glance at each other before the two of them get up and attempt to escape. He quickly grabs Brittany in one arm and Charlie in the other. "It only works if the three of you are working together," he reminds them and pulls them back into Brittany's room. "Now where were we?"


	6. Chapter 6

Quinn burst through the Lopez's front door, not caring about intruding since he knew Santana's parents were gone. He bounded up the stairs and broke through Santana's bedroom door. "I _talked_ to her." He blurted. Only then did his excitement die enough for him to take in his surroundings, "What the fuck are you two doing?"

Charlie's head snapped up from his current position—tied to Santana's bed, _naked_. Santana's hand wrapped firmly around his dick. "Quinton?" His voice broke at the wrong moment causing him to turn red.

Santana's head whipped towards the door and for a moment Quinn could _swear_ that her eyes flashed red as she scrambled off the bed. Quinn took a step back but he was a step to slow as Santana shoved him back into the hallway. "The _fuck_ Quinton! Haven't you heard of knocking?"

"I—the fuck were you doing?"

" _I_ was watering the roses." Santana scoffs, so angry she's almost spitting with rage. "What do you _think_ I was doing?"

"Uh—Santana? Can you let me go now?" Charlie calls out from the bedroom.

"No. We're not finished." Santana calls back firmly.

"But—but—He's _tied up_."

"You're the one who made it _clear_ absolutely _clear_ that you didn't want to know what I did with your brother. And I don't know why me tying him to the bed is shocking. It's exactly something I would do because your brother doesn't know the meaning of the word _restraint_."

"I said I was _sorry_!" Charlie whined tugging on his cuffs. This was _humiliating_ , though if he was being honest with himself, he liked it when Santana punished him. Her punishments were fun. "You should take it as a compliment though!"

Santana arches her brow and Quinn can clearly see the corners of her lips tug upward in a blatant show of amusement. "What do you mean 'restraint'?" Quinn queries.

Any smirk of amusement Santana might have held grows cold and her eyes narrowed. "He did it _again."_ She shakes her head in utter disbelief.

"Again, you should take it as a _compliment_." Charlie calls from the bedroom.

"If you think that is a compliment then I was right to decide you need to be trained." Santana retorts.

Quinn shakes his head, "I really don't want to know this."

"Then maybe you should have fucking knocked." Santana retorts. "Now why the fuck did you barge into my house?"

Quinton blushed. He had been so excited, but now he felt his embarrassment start to grow. "It's not a big deal."

"Then go _away_." Charlie calls.

Quinn nodded, maybe if he left now he could forget about what he had just seen. Santana was a pervert who was corrupting his brother from the looks of it. "Yeah I think I'm going to do that and—"

Santana smirked, if there was one thing that she loved doing more than teasing Charlie it was fucking with Quinton. So what if he was her best friend, well no Charlie was her best friend he didn't complain when she wanted to cuddle or sit on him, Quinton came a close second though. "Your balls finally drop and you talked to your mate?"

"Quinton has a mate—wait you can't seriously be thinking about having a conversation when I'm tied to your bed naked?" Charlie tugged on his cuffs again.

Quinton turned pale and looked at Santana, "You wouldn't—"

"I would," Santana interrupts and smirks. "Now tell Auntie Snixx what happened so I can blow your mind with good advice."

"Uh—"

"Quinton I swear if you don't get the hell out of this house I will murder you in your sleep."

Santana turned back to the room, " _Charlie_ , I'm in the middle of having a conversation! Don't be rude and needy, you already got what you wanted today, if anyone should be rude and needy it's me and you don't see me forgetting my manners and threatening to kill people."

" _Santana?_ " Charlie whined and flopped his head back on the pillow, and shakes his head an amused smile on his face.

"So you _talked_ to her?" Santana pressed deciding to ignore Charlie for now.

"Yeah she was handing out flyers at school," Quinton said flicking his eyes to the bedroom and shaking his head, the excitement coming back. "She was talking about this club that she was in and I sort of tuned out, but I signed all three of us up. I mean we talked but I sort of got distracted by how pretty she was and—hopefully I didn't embarrass myself."

"Wait, _what_?" Charlie called out.

"Keep up Charlie." Santana barked caving already before turning back to Quinn, "And hell no, I'm not joining some loser-ass club just because you are too lame to _actually_ talk to your mate."

" _Santana_ please!"

"Charlie has been asking that all night, and what're we learning, Chuck?" She calls dramatically.

"That you're evil?" Charlie calls out a smile playing on his lips.

"Apart from that?"

"You're the boss? Oh and _begging_ doesn't get me what I want?"

"Oh, so you _can_ be taught." Santana scoffs.

"Does that mean you'll let me go now?" Charlie asked hopefully. "I'm getting cold."

"Absolutely not," Santana sniffs and turns back to at Quinn, "Fix it. I've got cheerleading, Charlie's got soccer, we don't have time to deal with whatever club you signed us up for."

"It could be fun?"

Santana glowers at him. "No. No it won't." And that normally would have been that. Santana _never_ would have agreed to indulge Quinn in some ridiculously stupid plan to be close to the girl he thought was his mate. Especially since time alone with Charlie was already hard to come by because of their schedules. But fate was cruel and just as she opened her mouth to declare with finality that Quinn could go to hell, the low rumble of the garage door sounded beneath their feet. _"Shit."_ Santana scrambles toward Charlie. if her parents find him locked against her bed they will literally kill her.

Quinn grins, realizing he has the upper hand. "I could go distract them for you, if—"

" _Do it._ " Both Charlie and Santana shout in tandem.

~0~

"I fucking hate you." Santana grumbles and stands in the doorway to the choir room. She's not even sure how she ended up here, but fuck it all to hell if Quinn wasn't an absolute _moron_ and signed them up for the lamest club in high school.

Quinn holds up his hands defensively. "Hey, it's not _my_ fault your mom came home early." He shuddered internally, vowing to never tell Santana what he had been forced to do to distract Maribel. If she knew, he would never hear the end of it.

"Maybe it won't be that bad?" Charlie winces. He doesn't even believe that himself. But it wasn't as if he or Santana really had a choice.

Santana rolled her eyes, but grabs Charlie's hand and leads him inside. "Of _course_ it's going to be bad." This was going to destroy their carefully planned popularity takeover. "I hope you're happy Quinton."

Quinton didn't answer. "Look this is just until she can see me as a feasible mate."

"She isn't going to see you as a feasible mate, you're fourteen. She's going off to university next year, it doesn't work like that." Santana grumbled and turned to Charlie. "He's your brother talk some sense into him!"

Charlie scratched his head and took a seat. "Santana's right?" He shrugs. Honestly, it seems a _little_ romantic, but he can't imagine trying to be around Santana if Santana didn't know they were mates. Maybe it was an alpha thing, but regardless, he was glad he wasn't Quinton. But it was odd, he always felt like he had known that Santana was it for him. It made his life so much simpler, knowing that he had Santana to watch his back. He may be just an omega, but he belonged to someone as beautiful and as smart as Santana.

Santana rolls her eyes. "Normally I would always agree with that, but seriously Chuck? That's all you got?"

Charlie sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "I don't know what to say, but as the only omega between the three of us all I have to say is she probably knows. Santana smells better and different from everyone else. She feels different than everyone else, and when I look at her—" Charlie is quiet for a moment and shrugs. "She knows, so just talk to her like you're an alpha, I can tell you as an omega that I wouldn't find it attractive if Santana did what you were doing."

Quinn turns to retort only to be stopped by the sweet smell of Rachel entering the room, he turns to Rachel immediately and instinctively steps away from the crazy people. "Hey—uh Rachel," he waves and swallows. "Like I said I brought more members, my brother and well his girlfriend."

" _Excuse me_?" Santana hisses at him.

Rachel smiles brilliantly, turning back to Brittany who was right behind her. "Excellent, we'll have the whole Fabray clan in glee club."

Brittany frowned, "What are you three doing here?" She turns to Santana. "I thought you wanted to be head cheerleader next year? Sue will never forget this."

Santana's eyes narrowed. She _told_ Quinton that there was no way they would ever recover. But she would be damned if she sacrificed the safety that popularity offered just for a stupid singing club. "I _told_ you. Come on, Charlie, let's go."

Charlie stands but Quinn whips around to glare at him and he gulps. Torn between Santana and Quinn, he grimaces. "Uh, maybe you go. Then I can stay for Quinn?" It's a suggestion and he can't help but hope that it's good enough to get the pair of them to back down. He _hates_ having to choose between them, and he'll _always_ choose Santana if it comes down to it, but Quinn is his twin and the last thing they both need is for him to remind their parents that they were trying to mate again.

Santana frowns. This wouldn't happen if they had just mated already, she was sure of it. "Let's go Charlie," she repeats again firmly. It's the tone that generally gets him moving but for once Charlie narrows his eyes at her. It was a first.

"No, it—this could be fun, and I said I'd do it with Quinn. So, I'm staying." He hesitates when Santana glares at him but immediately juts out his chin. He didn't mind doing whatever Santana asked of him, but he knew that Quinn was lonely and if this Rachel person really was his mate then they needed to fix it so Quinn could have someone important to him.

Santana stares at Charlie for a moment, this really was a first. Charlie didn't say _no_ to her, she was his alpha. She's not even sure what she wants to do about it when she notices that there are a few people who she didn't know judging the interaction. The last thing she wanted was for this to be front page news that she couldn't control her omega. She didn't want to make a scene and it seemed that Charlie's mind was made up, " _Fine_ , we'll stay for this one. If it's lame we're not doing this again," she narrows her eyes at Charlie for a moment and takes a seat beside him.

Santana studies Charlie for a moment, noting that people in the room were beginning to whisper and frowns. Charlie didn't say _no_ , he had never said no to her before not like this and never publically. He usually went along with whatever she wanted to do. Sure he'd ask if they could do his thing but this was new. "Fine, we'll stay for this one." She turned to study Charlie for a moment narrowing her eyes when he finally looked at her with a pleased grin on his face. She had never once seen her father not listen to her mother. She had never seen Judy say no to Russell either. This is what happened when they didn't mate.

Rachel beamed at Charlie, from what she heard it was difficult to say no to your mate and yet here was Charlie doing just that. "Well, I don't think we've been properly introduced. I'm Rachel Berry, future Broadway star and the captain of glee club." She extends her hand and keeps that pleased smile on her face.

Charlie glances at the hand and extends his own shaking Rachel's hand and smiling back. "I'm Charlie, Brittany's favorite."

"You were until you got the keys taken away," Brittany muttered.

Charlie ignores Brittany still shaking Rachel's hand. She smelled nice, nowhere as nice as Santana did, but he knew for a fact that even though Quinton loved to tell anybody who would listen how much he hated Santana, he had admitted that Santana smelt nice. He's about to say something when Brittany grabs him by the arm. "Hey!"

"Don't be weird Charlie, I'm trying to convince Rachel that rooming with me when we get to New York would be awesome." Brittany explained and glances over at Santana. "I need to borrow him." She doesn't wait for Santana to give her affirmation before she's dragging her youngest brother away. There was something going on and she needed to get to the bottom of it. Charlie didn't say no to Santana, Quinn wouldn't normally be caught dead in the glee club. The entire world was topsy turvy and she didn't like it. She yanks Charlie out of the room and pulls him towards another empty classroom. "Alright spill."

"Spill what?"

"Why the hell you three are even here? That would be a start. What's going on with Quinton and why did you say no to Santana? What's going on?"

"Oh that, Quinton thinks Rachel is his mate, Santana wants to be next head Cheerio, but Quinton did bail us out and we _promised_ that we'd do this because there was an incident with a bed and handcuffs that I don't really want to get into but needless to say we promised to help him."

Brittany gapes at her brother. "You're an idiot."

"Hey!" Charlie frowns. He glances back at Santana who is shooting daggers at Quinn who is too busy trying to casually watch Rachel to notice. "I just don't want them fighting."

"Well _first_ tip, don't pick your twin over your alpha." Brittany shakes her head. It only figures that her brothers were both morons. Santana was going to _murder_ Charlie, and Quinton was going to be a creeper and try to encourage her best friend to be some sort of pedophile.

Charlie rolled his eyes. "Quinn's lonely, and if we fix him up with Rachel then he won't be lonely anymore. Which means no more bursting into rooms when Santana and I are _busy_. Plus you know—if she is his mate then he can be happy. He'll have what I have, and then I won't have to worry about him as much as I do."

"And what about me? I still haven't found _my_ mate." Brittany huffs. She shakes her head, "Nevermind. I definitely don't need _your_ help, just know that if Santana kills you I just might help her."

Charlie frowned, "Why? Because I said no to her? All because I'm an omega doesn't mean that I have no thoughts of my own. I go along with things because it's easier for me, but I'm allowed to say no. Mom said that I'm allowed to say no if I don't feel ready to do something or Santana or Quinn are trying to force me to do something that I don't want to do." He crossed his arms over his chest. "Just because I don't usually doesn't mean that I can't exert myself whenever I want."

"The _point_ is that you chose someone else over Santana publically. Not whether you said no or not." Brittany cracks her neck, "But let's sit down before Rachel decides we're ruining her chance for Broadway."

"He's my _brother_ and my twin, and for the past eleven years I've chosen Santana first and this is important to him. This wasn't just anyone and I wouldn't do that just for anyone."


	7. Chapter 7

It's nearly a year later when things finally change. Charlie's relaxing by the pool, trying not to get caught sneaking glances at Quinn who has been in a grumpy funk ever since Rachel and Brittany went to New York. It doesn't help that Santana's mad at him too, but he'll have to worry about that later. He jumps when the french doors open from the house.

"What do you boys think you're doing out here?" Russell frowns. They've been like this almost all summer, and Judy swore it would get back to normal as soon as the boys went back to school. But here it was, a Thursday afternoon a week before school started for the year, and both his sons were lounging around the pool like they had absolutely nothing better to do. He wasn't going to stand for it, not one second longer.

"Working on my tan?" Charlie admits looking at his dad as if it were obvious. All the working out he'd done all year and he was looking hot. Maybe this year he'd go with the surfer look. He points at Quinn, "And mom said that he needed sun so it's better that he's out here instead of in his room sulking now that Rachel has gone to become a huge star in New York."

Quinn frowned and flipped Charlie off, "Brittany said I could visit whenever I wanted, and when I asked if I could sleep on the couch until school started she laughed in my face and told me no! Probably has something to do with that dancer that lives next door." It wasn't fair everyone else in the family was having sex, well not Charlie and Santana anymore but _still_. Brittany had found her mate. Charlie had his mate living two blocks away and his mate barely acknowledged that she was _his_. All because he was younger. It wasn't _fair_.

Russell frowns but he's tired of Quinn's grim mopey attitude. No child of his is going to wallow in self-pity. They are Fabrays, which meant that Quinton needed to do whatever was possible to impress his mate. Hiding away and feeling sorry for himself wasn't going to help. These boys needed something to do. "Aren't football tryouts today?"

Charlie shrugs. "How should I know, I'm a soccer player."

"You spent all of last year on the bench and I _know_ how well you can play. Why the hell your coach would bench his star player in the midst of a losing season is anyone's guess."

"Right." Charlie bit his lip, hoping his dad wouldn't press the issue. He had been benched because he missed nearly every practice. It was part of the reason that they were fighting, he _liked_ soccer, and sure it had been fun to do sexy things with Santana, but she didn't seem to care that soccer was important to him. She hadn't missed a single Cheerios practice, but his soccer practices weren't that important to her. At least it felt that way.

"Which is why you're _both_ going to try out for the football team. Santana is the _head_ cheerleader, you should be playing football."

"Pass," Quinton and Charlie said in unison.

Charlie glances at his brother and goes back to reading his book, "I have no interest dealing with sweaty alpha's who are not Santana trying to murder me. When Santana does it, it's sexy. When other's do it? Well, I'm not interested in playing football. I like my bones not being broken and not having severe head injuries."

"It's not like Rachel is going to _see_ me playing football, and even if she did she doesn't approve of mindless violence. She's an _artist_. I think I'm going to take guitar lessons or something."

"Please _don't_. The last thing I need is to listen to your emo music or the terrible poetry that you write. Again, if Santana was doing what you are doing right now, I'd be turned off." Charlie comments flipping the page.

"Maybe if you weren't an idiot, Santana would be over here instead of at some stupid Cheerios planning meeting."

"She's the youngest Captain in Cheerio history, so _fuck off_."

" _Enough_." Russell barked, silencing his two bickering sons with a single word. "Both of you have five minutes to get in the car. You're both going to try out and _make_ the team."

"Dad, I don't know _anything_ about football," Charlie tried.

"I don't care. You can be the kicker, that can't be much different from soccer." Russell dismisses. He hates that his son fell victim to a commie sport like soccer rather than focusing on something more manly. But it didn't matter anymore because he wasn't taking this any longer.

Charlie rolls his eyes, of _course_ football is going to be different from soccer. On the plus side, the Cheerios actually attended football games, so maybe that wouldn't be so bad after all. Seeing Santana in that very revealing uniform of hers, well at least he'd have someone to stare at. "Fine whatever, at least Santana will be there."

"Isn't she mad at you?" Quinn presses and Charlie shrugs his shoulders. "Whatever, I'm not going to sit on some special team."

"Of _course_ not, you're going to be the starting Quarterback," Russell said dismissively. He shakes his head watching as Charlie reaches for his soda. That was most definitely going to have to stop, they needed to be in peak physical conditioning.

"And just _how_ is that going to happen?" Quinn scoffs.

"Well first, you're going to try out and do your damned best because I'm going to ask your coach and make sure that's what happens. Second, if I have to I'll _buy_ your spot on the team. And then, we're going to put both of you on a diet. No bacon except for Sundays. You boys will be in tip top shape if it's the last thing I do." And it just might be, knowing his boys this wasn't going to be easy but he was the alpha of this family and he had to do what was best for all of them.

Charlie grimaces in disgust. "I think I might just go live with Santana."

"Again, isn't she mad at you?"

"Not mad enough to keep me from bacon." Charlie grumbled he was going to get up and kick a damn ball, he didn't need to be the specimen of perfect health.

"I said five minutes and you're both taking your time, three minutes or I dock your allowance." It was enough to get them moving and Russell smirks proud of the fact that he's gotten them to bend to his will. Now he could actually go watch his son's play a _real_ sport. They'd thank him later.

~O~

"Santana?" Gabrielle Avery said looking at her cheer captain, it wasn't fair that she had gotten passed over for the sophomore.

"If this has nothing to do with winning another national championship Gabrielle then I don't fucking care. Coach Sylvester is demanding perfection and unless we give it to her, she's threatening to scrap the whole team and start from the very beginning. What word did she use? Rebuilding, that's it she wants to rebuild the Cheerios because apparently everyone sucks." Santana snapped at her. At least she had managed to get a few impressive routines out of Brittany before she had gone to New York. That would at least get them past Regionals, but nationals well they didn't have enough to win nationals and she wanted to rule the Cheerios until she graduated.

Gabrielle rolled her eyes, "Oh, I just thought you'd want to know that your _boyfriend_ is trying out for the football team."

Santana pinched the bridge of her nose. Of _course_ Charlie would do something stupid like this when everyone else around her was just waiting for her to fail. It didn't help that she and Charlie _still_ weren't mated. Last year every single alpha on the soccer team had their eye on him and it had been all she could do to keep trying to bond with him, at least if they were having sex the other alphas would smell her claim on him. "I'll be right back." She flashes a smile at the other Cheerios and quickly gets up to go and find her mate.

She stalks quickly toward the football field, ignoring anyone in her way. She gets all the way to the track before someone stops her and blocks her path. "Get out of my fucking way." She growls, stopping only slightly when she sees that it is Russell who keeps her from her mate.

"Now Santana, I can tell that you're upset, but just watch." He holds her by the shoulders for good measure, gesturing to the field where they are setting up another ball for Charlie to kick at the fifty yard mark. He's already made nine field goals, and they keep pushing him further away. "He's a natural. I may not have to pay his tuition!"

Santana can't help but smile at the look of concentration on her mate's face. He runs up to the ball and kicks it hard, sending it flying between the goalposts with deadly accuracy. He whips around to face her, a proud smile dancing across his lips as his eyes search to find her. He is _not_ paying attention, at least not enough to keep himself from tripping over his own two feet. He immediately extends his arms to catch himself but he lands hard on his wrist.

"Walk it off Charlie, just walk it off and pay attention!" Russell calls out before turning to Santana who was struggling to move towards him. "He's the _kicker_ , it's the least dangerous position on the field. He'll be fine and he needs to start thinking about his future. With kicking like that he might make it all the way to the NFL!"

"I don't _want_ him in the NFL," Santana snapped at Russell. "He's a soccer player, it's safer."

"It's a commie sport is what it is," Russell frowned. "We're _American_ , we play football—"

Charlie sighed and jogged over to see Santana and his father, "Will you two stop arguing? It's embarrassing," he mumbles to them.

Santana turns to him and shakes her head, she couldn't _believe_ that they were even considering this. She's about to say something when she notices his wrist is swollen and red. "Charlie what the fuck happened to your wrist?"

"Hmm?" Charlie glances down at the limb, it didn't hurt, well it had hurt when he had jammed it but it didn't hurt anymore. He shrugs, "It's nothing," he says quickly moving to make a fist to show Santana that it was indeed nothing except he winces in pain. "Ow."

Santana freezes, and quickly moves to gently inspect the wrist smacking Charlie's leg when he tries to squirm away. "Okay, we're going to the hospital."

Russell rolled his eyes, "It's probably a sprain."

"That's _not_ a sprain, he fractured his damn wrist playing this stupid sport, so we're going to the emergency where my dad is going to X-ray the damn wrist and make sure that he's okay."

Charlie crinkled his nose, "I'm fine Santana—"

"This is _not_ fine."

"If the boy says he's fine then he's probably fine," Russell said dismissively.

"The _boy_ is terrified of _hospitals_. Of course he's going to say he's fine. So he's going to the hospital to get checked out. So come on Charlie we're going to the hospital."

"But—"

"No buts! What were you thinking trying out for the football team!" Santana lecture.

"I was perfectly happy sitting at home working on my tan, but this is fun. I get to kick the ball and no one is trying to kill me! The alphas all have to protect me and because I'm an omega they all feel that urge in a way so I'll probably be fine."

Santana freezes and feels her mouth run dry. He shouldn't _need_ another alpha to protect him. Was this why they hadn't been able to mate? Because Charlie liked the attentions that the other alphas gave him. She shakes her head, swallowing down the bitter pang. There are more important things to worry about right now, like whether Charlie's going to need surgery for his wrist. "We're going to the hospital." She declares with finality. "Because even if you decide to be an absolute moron, you _can't_ play if it's broken."

Russell rolls his eyes, but has to agree. "Come on, I'll drive you two."

Charlie frowned Santana was mad at him _again_ and he hadn't even done anything wrong. He scratches his head and gently nudges her. "Okay, but you have to tell your dad no needles." He jokes but Santana doesn't seem amused. He sighs, she was always mad at him these days. Quinton and Brittany said it was because he was an idiot but he didn't feel that way.

~O~

"See," Charlie said poking Santana with the pen that he'd been given. "It's just a simple fracture, no big deal and your dad gave me a sucker! And all of his stickers!"

"Because he thinks you're a child," Santana grumbles as she fluffs his pillows for him making sure that he was comfortable. Of course he didn't see it as a big deal when it was. He had gotten hurt playing football, maybe not directly but he had never hurt himself playing soccer. In fact he had sat on the bench safely the entire time.

"Maybe, but it doesn't matter. I got stickers to decorate my cast and you have to sign it Santana," Charlie held out the marker for her again waving it a bit. " _Come on_. You just need to sign your name so I can get other people to sign it when I get back to school."

Santana rolled her eyes, but slid onto his bed with him taking the pen away from him, "What would you do without me?"

Charlie leans in and gives her a kiss on the cheek, "Probably listen to a lot of emo music like Quinton and complain that the world is against me because my mate moved to New York." Charlie watched as Santana wrote 'Property of Santana Lopez' on his arm. He crinkles his nose at the choice of words but decides to leave it alone. Instead shifting his body and pulling Santana closer nuzzling her.

It's enough to make Santana relax and she runs a hand along his knee. "You need to be more careful," she murmurs kissing his jaw. "I think I was about ready to fight your dad to make sure you went to a hospital. You're lucky you didn't need surgery."

Charlie groaned and shifted on his bed, glancing at his door, well his parents were _just_ downstairs, but a little dry humping never hurt anyone right? He quickly moves his broken wrist out of the way and allows Santana to straddle him, when he realizes something terrible. He was _soft_. Santana's presence generally made him rearing to go and his mind was certainly willing but _nothing_ was happening. " _Santana_ ," he mumbles desperately keeping his voice down lest his parent hear.

Santana narrows her eyes a bit glancing down and then back at Charlie, "What?"

"I _think_ my dick is broken," Charlie mumbles back blushing brightly. "What if I broke my dick?"

Santana pauses for a moment and shifts a bit backwards so she can take a look, sure enough he was soft and she glances up at him. He always did look adorable when he was distressed, "Do you want me to call my dad?" Charlie nods quickly flushing and Santana reaches for her bag. It was embarrassing and she knew she was going to get chewed out but she pauses upon seeing the yellow bottle on Charlie's desk. He was on rather strong painkillers despite the fact that he probably didn't really need them. "Charlie, you're high."

"No I'm not! I've had like one pill!" Charlie insists.

"Well you're on _drugs_ , maybe that's why?" Santana suggests.

"Oh—that makes sense." He makes a face at this and leans his head back against the headboard. "Well can we make out? I'm a football player now and you're a cheerleader it just makes sense."

Santana hesitates for a moment wanting to remind him that he _wasn't_ ever going to be a football player after today's incident when he pouts. It's her damn kryptonite and she rolls her eyes straddling him once more and presses her lips against his. If he wanted to have that fantasy it was alright with her. It was after all just a fantasy.


	8. Chapter 8

Quinton was nearly giddy as he looked at his half-full suitcase. It was finally happening, after much begging and pleading and doing extra chores, and getting attacked on a football team that he _really_ didn't want to be on. But he was sixteen now, and he was going to spend all of his spring break with his mom visiting Brittany. More importantly, he was going to get to see his _mate._ Nothing could get him down, not today.

He curses himself for even thinking that when the door to his bedroom crashes open and Santana bursts inside. "Can you _believe_ him?"

Quinn rolls his eyes. Ever since their epic fight over football, Charlie and Santana aren't even _talking_ to each other. Instead, he gets to hear Santana bitch and complain over what an idiot Charlie is while Charlie whines and moans about how he doesn't even know why Santana was mad at him. "I. Don't. Care."

But Santana starts pacing, "Doesn't he get that everything he says _matters_?"

Quinn frowned and pinched the bridge of his nose, he could feel a migraine coming on. He didn't even _like_ Santana most of the time and he barely tolerated Charlie. He didn't understand how he got dragged into this _shit_. "I think you entered the wrong room, Charlie's room is across the hall and I'm _sure_ he can hear you. So just go _talk to him_ like a normal person. Now go away I'm _busy_ —no wait before you go. Old Spice or Axe?" Quinton asked holding up the body spray.

Santana tilts her head at the question and looks at the bottles and crinkles her nose, "Neither is an option on the table right? I thought you wanted her to think that you're _mature_ , you don't want to go smelling like a teenage boy. Why do you think I banned Charlie from using that shit?"

"Because you're a—"

"Finish that sentence and I'm not going to help," Santana threatens pointing her finger at him. When Quinn looks sufficiently cowed she smiles pleased. "So go ask to borrow the cologne I got him, it makes him see a _lot_ more mature than he actually is. It's the Dolce and Gabbana that's on his desk. Or better yet, go buy your own. You probably won't give it back because once you see how well it works you probably won't give it back and your brother is too cheap to replace it."

Quinn nods, that was surprisingly helpful. "You're still a bitch, though." He grumbles.

Santana smirks at this, "And you're still a _dick_." Santana shakes her head and frowns turning so she can look at Charlie's bedroom door. "And your brother's an insensitive _ass_. You know what he said to me?"

"I really don't care?" Quinn repeats rolling his eyes.

"He _told me_ in front of all the Cheerios—"

"I _really_ don't care."

"—that I was basically a shitty alpha and that he didn't _want_ me anymore."

That pulls Quinn up short, it doesn't sound like anything Charlie would ever say about Santana, but based on the fact that Santana is still _here_ instead of making out with Charlie in his room means that she's not lying. "What? He wouldn't say that."

"He _did_." Santana insists. It would hurt if it didn't piss her off so badly. How _dare_ he.

Quinn frowns deeply for a moment and then sighs, "Okay, what did _you_ do?"

" _Me_?"

"Yes you, Charlie hasn't thrown a tantrum since he was a kid and they told him that he couldn't be in the same class as you. So _obviously_ you did _something_ to hurt his feelings. Once again, his door is that way." Quinn points to his bedroom door. "Just say sorry and like do that thing that you do to make him not be mad. Or you know, _mate_. That might fix this."

"You think I haven't _tried_. I'm not like you where I creepily stalk my Omega. So _forgive_ me if I get pissed off when he insists on acting like we aren't mates. We _aren't_ like everybody else, no matter how much Charlie likes to pretend we are." Santana frowns and tosses some of Quinn's neatly pressed clothes onto the ground so she can sit on his bed. "I don't think he _wants_ to be mates, you think I don't know that he's getting super popular with the other alphas? I knew I should have locked that down the moment he grew up."

Quinn rolls his eyes, but grabs his clothes off the floor, "You know he wants to. It just hasn't worked out."

"Yeah, well I'm done trying. If he wants to mate he's going to have to come to me." Santana sniffed indignantly, "I'm not going to be _you_."

"You know after Brittany and Mike mated, my parents have ceased caring what goes on. They already know you two are having sex, badly I might add. They've known for a while, and they simply stopped punishing him for it. He's in his room right now, go yell at him. Go threaten to murder him and mess up his stuff. Just leave me out of this."

"That's just it. He is in his _room_. He knows I'm here. So where the fuck is he?"

Quinn pauses at that, his brow furrowing. It is true, Santana's never been in Quinn's room this long without Charlie interrupting them. He groans and puts his clothes back on his bed and grabs Santana, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her off his bed. Maybe all the insane training his dad forced him to go through was paying off. Then again Santana was short and weighed next to nothing so pulling her across the hall and opening the door to Charlie's room really was nothing. He dumps her unceremoniously on the floor of Charlie's room and looks at his twin who was currently laying on his bed in only a pair of tight boxers. "This is yours."

Charlie flicks his eyes to Santana for a moment and then turns over with a huff. "I thought I told you to leave me alone." He grumbles. It's nice that Santana wants to talk to him _now_ , after she's had Cheerios hanging off her every single day. But he's not going to be her lapdog anymore, not when he has to wait around for scraps. He couldn't even make her jealous because all the alpha's were terrified of Santana. It wasn't _fair_.

Santana felt her heart beat nearly out of her chest. "No." She crosses her arms over her chest. "I'm not leaving till you tell me what the _hell_ that was. Do you have any idea how _humiliating_ that was? To have your omega tell the world what you're a shitty alpha? The whole school probably thinks we're broken up and that means that all the alpha's are going to start sniffing around, when you _belong_ to me."

"Good! Maybe they won't tell me what to do, and what to wear, and tell me that I can't play sports, or try and _control_ me." Charlie snaps. "Now get out."

"You don't mean that." Santana reasons even though she has her own doubts right now. She's the alpha, she's the one that's supposed to be reasonable.

"I do. So get out and leave me the hell alone."

"No we need to—"

" _Quinn_ ," Charlie whines immediately, turning around and flashing Quinton his pout. He doesn't want to deal with Santana right now, or ever again. He was being dramatic and his heart hurt a lot but he was tired of Santana trying to control him or protect him whatever it was that she was trying to do.

Quinton groans and takes a step forward to pull Santana out of Charlie's room when she turns on him quickly. "Touch me Quinton and I will snap your arm in two." She hisses slapping his arm away. Charlie wasn't getting out of this by using his omega charms. She turns back to Charlie. "I'm not _leaving_ , so stop acting like a baby."

Charlie's out of his bed and standing in front of Santana in seconds, he's not really trying to intimidate her with his size even as he towers over her, he just wants her to leave. " _I'm mad at you_. Go away."

Santana eyed him coolly, he had been acting up for the past few months, and it was getting tiresome. It takes her a moment to realize that he's standing there in only a pair of duck boxers, probably a gift from Brittany and her lips quirk upward for a second. "I'm sorry, it's just impossible to take you seriously in those boxers."

Charlie's brow twitches at that comment and he glances down at himself, these were the only things that were clean that he had found upstairs. He hadn't yet gone to get his laundry. "I don't care I want you to leave and I—"

"And maybe _I'm_ mad at _you_." Santana interrupts. "You humiliated me in front of the entire school and I'm _tired_ of you resenting me when I'm just trying to be a good alpha."

"Maybe I don't _want_ you to be my alpha anymore!" Charlie snaps before he can stop it. The hurt flashes across Santana's face and he frowns at this and glances away. He hates it. He hates hurting her like this and he needs to actively resist the urge to simply submit to Santana's will, to comfort her when she wanted him to.

Santana _knows_ he doesn't mean it—at least, she thinks he doesn't mean it—but she can't stop herself from retaliating. "Well maybe I don't want _you_ anymore either." It's a lie and she should be doing everything she can to apologize and make this better but she's tired and hurt and all she wants is to curl up with Charlie and watch movies. "Good luck finding someone who can deal with you being a two-pump chump. Maybe I can finally find someone who can _satisfy_ me in bed."

"Good luck finding someone who can deal with _you_ being an uptight bitch."

Santana clenches her jaw and spins on her heels. "Fine!" She spits, slamming Charlie's door shut behind her. She _couldn't_ be here anymore and fuck her if she ever heard the name Charlie Fabray ever again.

"Fine!" Charlie shouts at the closed door, snatching a pillow off the bed and hurling it as hard as he can, trying to ignore the horrible pit in his stomach.

Quinton watched from his bedroom as Santana stormed downstairs and looked at Charlie's door for a moment before turning back to his suitcase and humming. He wasn't going to get involved.

~O~

Charlie exhaled as he quickly tussled his hair in the mirror, making sure that he looked _good_. He frowns and fixes his hair, he feels like one of those silly omega's who did everything in their power to attract their mate. He had never understood it, he had always had Santana. They had always seemed a bit desperate to him. It was probably why he didn't have many omega friends. They were _jealous_. It was the only real explanation. He had always had Santana to cuddle up with and play with. He didn't know when things had gotten so complicated between them.

Ever since she had gone through puberty, it had always been about mating. If he was being honest, it had _always_ been about mating with Santana since day one. She had always wanted to claim him as hers. The thought made him happy, even if he wasn't sure if he was ready to mate. Not yet, he was always going to be Santana's mate, he knew that but he never understood the rush. It made him nervous, and when he was nervous it made sex difficult.

But the idea of Santana controlling every aspect of his life, what he ate, what sports he played, how he dressed and his haircuts bothered him. He didn't mind looking sexy for Santana, but he _liked_ the smell of axe, he liked wearing ripped clothes that maybe needed a trip to the washing machine. Maybe he was a bit of a slob sometimes, but sometimes it felt like Santana thought he was just an omega who would follow her every whim and desire, like he didn't have his own thoughts and wants.

But that was behind them, today, they were going to make up. His dad was working late, his mom and Quinton had already touched down in New York. They had the whole house to themselves for once. They could make up. Sometime the best part of fighting was _knowing_ that the two of them would make up. A goofy smile crosses his face for a moment. Making up was the _best_.

He strides confidently down the hall where all the alphas had their locker assignments. He's almost to Santana's locker when he stops and furrows his brow in confusion. It must be that Santana is distracted, because she hasn't noticed him yet and she's searching through her messy locker for something. He could watch her for hours if it weren't for the omega leaning against the locker beside Santana with a predatory smile on her face. He's noticed her before, but he _knows_ that look and it fills him with an emotion he's not sure he can place. "Santana."

She snaps her head toward him. He sees a flurry of emotions cross her face in a flash before her eyes narrow and her gaze hardens. "What do _you_ want?" She scoffs with a mask of indifference that he's never had directed at him before.

"I—" He gulps, taking a step back.

The omega puts a reassuring hand on Santana's elbow and Charlie feels his blood boil. "I think you should go." She smiles to him politely.

"We're going to be late for practice Santana, you know how Sue gets."

Charlie gritted his teeth, giving Santana a pointed look. "Let's go."

Santana shrugs off random Cheerio number five's hand but returns Charlie's look with one of her own. "You heard her, I have practice." She bites down on the urge to take Charlie to the nearest empty classroom and bond with him right then. He didn't _want_ her, he's made that abundantly clear. Now she'll just have to salvage the protection their popularity has provided to them on her own. She couldn't _afford_ to skip practice, not now that the whole school was talking about them.

"You didn't care that _I_ had practice all last year. You can miss one practice." He dismisses. " _Let's_ go."

Santana arches her brow at his uncharacteristic demand. He's being pretty mouthy for having been such an asshole. "You weren't battling a coup with the Cheerios because your _boyfriend_ told the whole school you were a bad alpha. So shut the hell up and let me try to salvage my life."

"You _have_ been a shitty alpha," Charlie insists watching as Santana scowls at this. "I'm going to trip and fall down, I don't need you padding the ground for me when I fall so I don't scrape my god damn knee. I scraped my knee, I'll _live_. I break my wrist, again, I'll live. You're not _protecting me_ , you're suffocating me and instead of _listening_ to me, you're getting hurt and letting desperate omega's hang all off you. So you know what, _go_ to your damn practice. I'm going home by myself, and when school starts up after break. I'll stay on my side of the school and you stay on yours. You can have all the desperate omega's you want. I don't care anymore." Charlie turns to the random Cheerio. " _Enjoy_." With that he turns around and storms off. Of all the times for his mom to leave him alone, now was the worst _possible_ time. Alpha's _sucked._

He half expects Santana to follow him, but he's already waiting at the bus stop when he figures out that she's not coming to talk to him. He swallows feeling a lump in his throat, and he shakes his head and decides to skip going home and walk the three miles to his dad's office. Maybe by then, he'll feel better about all of this.

~O~

Russell glances over at his son who is moping in the corner of his office. He finally gives up and dials the number he's been avoiding for the last hour. "Judy, you have to help me." He whispers urgently when his wife answers.

"With what?" Judy smirks. He may have been an idiot by assuring her that he could handle one teenaged boy for a long weekend. Clearly he had been wrong.

"Charlie's here in my office. Just—he's just _sitting_ there. What do I do?"

"First, you should probably remember that he can hear you."

Russell shakes his head, not remembering that Judy can't quite see him. "No, he's wearing his earbuds and looking miserable. But he finished all his homework and he's just—sad."

He can practically feel Judy's frown. She had been worried that by taking Quinn to visit Brittany, Charlie and Santana would be mated before her flight even landed. He had been ready for that, _prepared_ for that. But this? He has no idea. "They must be fighting, then." She concludes.

"Oh." Russell scratches his head and turns to look at Charlie again. Well, Santana and Charlie fought and made up, like clockwork. They were getting at that age where they should be considering becoming mates.

"You should talk to him. He's probably seeking comfort, and you're an alpha who for the most part hasn't let him down. Find out what's going on his life, find out what's going wrong with him and Santana. He's sixteen and Santana's turning sixteen in like three weeks and there is _no one_ at home right now. So it must have been a big fight."

"Maybe you should talk to him, this seems like something you'd be better at than I would," Russell grumbles and sighs when Judy doesn't say anything. Even if she was in New York he could _feel_ the look she was giving him. "Fine I'll talk to him. But if he doesn't want to talk then he _doesn't_ want to talk."

"Then I'll talk to him, but only if he seems reluctant to talk." Judy insists. "But give him some food and he'll probably open up."

"Right." Russell nods. "I can do that." He sighs and hangs up the phone. He opens his desk and pulls out a few used menus and moves towards his son dumping them on his lap. It's enough to get Charlie to pull out his headphones. "Since you're here, why don't you pick out dinner for us to eat."

Charlie fiddles with the menus for a moment before reaching for his phone to switch off the music, noticing that he had fifty missed calls. He ignored them and flipped his phone over before his dad could see. He didn't want to talk to Santana, he didn't even want to think about her right now. "Mom said to tell you that she made us enough food to last for two weeks."

"Your mom isn't here right now and I'm not eating her casserole, your mom is an excellent cook but casseroles are _not_ her thing." Russell said grabbing one of the menus. "I'm in the mood for cheap Chinese food. You?"

Charlie shrugged. "I'm not really hungry."

Russell raised a brow, this really was more Judy's thing. But even he knew that _something_ was clearly eating at Charlie. "Girl troubles?"

" _Dad_."

"Yeah, we've all been there. You want to talk about it?"

"No."

"Well, your mom thinks I should bribe you with food to get you to talk. Even though this is more your mom's thing."

"It really is," Charlie comments off-handedly. He doesn't want to talk to his dad about this.

Russell grunts at this, he'd show them. "You two have been fighting a lot, it makes sense. You're both becoming individuals and part of the reason that we insisted on the two of you waiting was because you're both still growing as people. You two are an anomaly. No one finds their mate that young and there wasn't much we could do. Keeping you two apart was difficult and irritating, and you both seemed happy so what were we supposed to do?" Charlie looks away for a moment. "It's not as easy as it once was is it?"

Charlie was quiet for a moment, "Santana's a jerk," he finally mutters and picks up the menus.

"Santana has always been a little shit. So has Quinton, in fact most alpha's are basically little shits. Brittany seems to be the exception to that rule and even then she has her moments." This finally brings a smile to Charlie's lips and Russell relaxes. He loved his kids but between the three of them, he had less of a problem with Charlie's attitude then he did with Brittany and Quinton. "You want to tell me why she's a jerk?"

"I called her a shitty alpha, cause that's what she's being." Charlie finally admits turning to look at his father. When he doesn't say anything. "She's not _listening_ to me, and I'm tired of her not caring about what I want to do. She doesn't care if I have something to do because she's the alpha and she gets to boss me around. I don't mind her being bossy, she's always been bossy but she wouldn't even miss one practice for me so we could talk." Charlie waves his hands frustrated. "She used to care about what I wanted to do but now she doesn't and she has all these stupid desperate omega's hanging all over her—and I wanted to make her jealous but all the other alpha's won't go near me because Santana's scary when she's pissed off. So I don't want her to be my alpha anymore."

Russell waits while Charlie takes a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself. Well that certainly explained why the two of them had been fighting more and more. "Well, not to take Santana's side on the matter but I am an alpha so I do see where she's coming from, just like I know where you're coming from as well. It's in our nature to protect our omega's. She's doing what she thinks is best and _yes_ it's terribly constricting for most omega's but you've seen Maribel's relationship with Carlos, and you see my relationship with your mother. Your mother doesn't take my shit and Carlos doesn't seem to take Maribel's shit. You've been following Santana around since you were three doing everything she asked without question until you were a teenager. It's likely that Santana doesn't quite know how to react to this hence why she's being more demanding than usual."

"Yeah well that doesn't explain why she's got omega's all over her."

"No, you're right it doesn't," Russell sighed and patted Charlie's shoulder. The words don't seem to make a difference and he sighs. "Come on let's get out of here."

Charlie frowns and looks at his dad. "Where are we going?"

Russell smirks, Judy _had_ said to bribe him. "You'll see."

~O~

Santana resisted the urge to throw her phone against the wall, she had _no_ idea where Charlie was. He wasn't answering his phone, he had changed his password on his account so she couldn't track him. She had walked out to his house and banged on the door for hours, but he simply wasn't home. She had tried to call Quinton to force the issue but Quinton, the dick, was ignoring her to play house with his damn hobbit. They had been apart before, all those times she was in Puerto Rico visiting family, but nothing like this. They _had_ still talked as much as they could.

This was different, she could tell it was different. Charlie was never really the person to stay angry and hold a grudge for more than two days. This had gone on _all through_ spring break. It didn't help that Sue was on a warpath with nationals coming up.

Had she really been such a terrible alpha that he didn't even want to _talk_ to her? She had thought they were just fighting, but maybe Charlie meant it. Maybe he wanted someone better. She fights the burning tears that threaten to pool in her eyes at the thought. She's _not_ going to cry, especially not over this. Charlie had just been her mate, the only person who she ever trusted really loved her.

She rubs her eyes, alpha's didn't cry and she _hated_ babies. She wasn't going to be a baby about this. She took a deep breath and looked in the mirror to reapply her makeup. If Charlie didn't want her anymore, she was just going to have to try harder. Maybe Charlie was right and she _was_ a shitty alpha, but she could _fix_ it. All she had to do was improve herself. She could do it.

She frowns, putting her mascara back on the counter as she ponders thoughtfully. Charlie's favorite part of her was her breasts. She had always been proud of them, but maybe they weren't enough anymore. Her frown fades as an idea strikes her. She _can_ fix this, because maybe she wasn't enough for Charlie anymore but if she fixed this then he wouldn't be able to resist her.

She turns quickly, pulling out her phone to search for the nearest plastic surgeon. She almost books an appointment at Lima General but stops herself. She can't go anywhere that her dad might find out before it happens. Congratulating herself on her plan she searches for the closest plastic surgeon outside of Allen county.

She calls and quickly makes an appointment, using the house phone as her parent's contact information. It's not like they are ever home to check it, and it definitely wouldn't be the first time that she forged her Mom's signature. She would probably have to skip school to make the appointment, it was probably a good thing that she hadn't been to a Spanish class in ages. She'd have to get a taxi or an Uber to take her though. Maybe she could bully Quinton into taking her. He had his license and _occasionally_ was allowed to drive Brittany's car around. Now all she had to do was convince him to pick up his damn phone.


	9. Chapter 9

"That's _not fair_!" Quinton snapped as he watched his twin brother wiping a speck of dirt of his new Ford mustang. "How the hell is this _fair_!" To say that he was jealous of the shiny red car with the black racing stripe would be the understatement of the year.

Judy turned to Russell who looked unimpressed by Quinn's outburst, she had to agree with him. It wasn't fair. "You got him a brand new car?"

"It's not _brand_ new." Russell reasons, he holds up his hand to stop the tirade from both his wife and his oldest son. "It was a salvage and he's spent all of spring break fixing it up, _and_ I spent just as much on this as I did to fly Quinn out to New York for the week."

"You got him a _car_." Quinn insists. It's _not_ the same, he barely even got to _see_ Rachel and she hadn't even admitted that they were mates. All he had gotten was a lousy kiss on the cheek and maybe Rachel had stared at him while they had gone swimming together. So he had gotten to see her in a bathing suit but _still_. Charlie got a car? When was this fair?

"You said to bribe him, and this kept his mind off well—Santana, this got his mind off Santana and kept him busy all week. Worked with Burt all week, helped out learned a few things about fixing cars. Burt was really impressed. Honestly the car looks _really_ good considering what it looked like once we got it."

"The paint job took like all week," Charlie admits. "Burt let me stay during the nights to work on it, so I basically slept at his garage. Plus he ordered the parts for me and told me what to do before I fixed it, he checked everything over to make sure it was safe and he gave me an inspection for free! I passed by the way." Charlie grinned at Quinton, "Want to hear the engine?"

"Yeah, give me the keys." Quinn reasons. If he gets the keys then he can probably take over the car without much fuss. He was the alpha, if anyone got a sweet car like this it should be him.

"No fucking way." Charlie scoffs. Quinn's not coming within five feet of his car, not if he can help it.

"Give me the keys." Quinn orders again. It's always worked before, he's an alpha and Charlie's an omega. The only times Charlie ever fights back is when Santana tells him to do something different.

Charlie blinks, but frowns. "No."

"You have to let me drive it." Quinn insists, his brow furrowing.

" _Dad_." Charlie begs for help. Quinton was going to be relentless but there is _no way_ he is taking this car from Charlie, especially not after all the work he put into it.

Sensing a fight about to break out, Russell decides to intervene. "It's Charlie's car, Quinn. I'm sure Charlie will drive you around."

"Are you kidding me? I can't be seen having my _omega_ brother driving me around. What type of alpha do you think I am?" Quinton turns to Charlie. "Give me the keys."

Judy was about to intervene when Russell rested his hand on her shoulder stopping her. This was most definitely a first for Charlie, and she watched as he gripped his keys tighter in his hand and stood up straight.

"I said _no_ Quinn. I fixed this car up, I put the work into it to make it look awesome. You don't get to walk in here and demand that I just give you my stuff. It's _mine_. What does it matter if I drive you where you want to go? It's my car, if you want one go fix a car up yourself. Burt's super helpful and he likes teaching, so why the hell don't you go get a car and fix it up yourself." Charlie pauses for a moment. "And if you do that, then you can't paint the car red. That's _my_ color not yours."

Quinn frowned and immediately reached forward to grab Charlie, who shoved his hands away. "I'm the—"

" _Enough_." Russell snapped watching as the two of them turned to him. "Quinton, it's _his_ car. He put the work into it and _he_ fixed it up. I have attempted to teach you through the years that you can't just bully your brother into giving you what you want." At least now Charlie was attempting to fight back. "I was going to insist that Charlie take you wherever you need to go, but I think for the next week, you're stuck with public transportation. Maybe then you'll understand that all because you're an _alpha_ doesn't give you the right to boss your brother around."

"But _dad_ —"

"Do I hear two weeks?" Russell asked watching as Quinn's mouth snapped shut. He waves his hand dismissively. Truthfully he had every intention of helping Quinton pick out his own car later that weekend but he didn't deserve to be rewarded for having a shitty attitude. When Quinn stormed away angrily, he realized that he had made the right decision. Russell glances at his mate and smiles, "And you said I don't know what you're doing."

"You _don't_ know what you're doing." Judy scoffs, watching her youngest child closely. Charlie has turned back to his car to inspect it for any changes in the last few minutes. She has to admit that it was a pretty good idea, but she still has an odd feeling like things aren't quite settled. "But I suppose this works too."

~O~

Quinn slams the door to his bedroom furiously. It's the _last_ day of spring break and Charlie's turning into a giant asshole. He grabs his phone and calls the first person he can think of who can fix this. "Santana." He breaths when she answers. "Fix him."

"He's an asshole." Santana dismisses. "But I plan to. Listen, I need your help. I need you to take me to the hospital tomorrow morning."

Quinn stops only then realizing he had been pacing. "Why? Are you pregnant? You didn't smell pregnant the last time I saw you."

"No I'm not pregnant." Santana snaps and Quinn can practically hear her eye roll through the phone. "Just, can you come pick me up? My appointment is at eight-thirty in Toledo."

"Toledo? Why the fuck are we going all the way out there?"

"Would you stop asking stupid questions? I'll _tell_ you on the way. Just—can you take me?"

"That's like a two hour drive."

"Which I would make myself but I don't have my damn license yet." Santana points out. She's planned every detail meticulously but if Quinn falls through for her then she doesn't know what her next plan is.

Quinn nods, a small smirk forming. So Charlie didn't want him to drive the car? He'd show _him_. All he had to do was pick up the keys while Charlie was asleep and slip out before anyone realized what happened. There might be hell to pay later, but it'd show Charlie that he couldn't be a little pansy every time he didn't get his way. "Yeah, I'll pick you up around six."

"Good, I'll buy breakfast and fill the gas tank on the way back." Santana says before biting her lip, wondering if she should ask Quinton how he was. He couldn't stay mad forever right?

"Better be a lumberjack breakfast. Lots of bacon," Quinn retorted, if he was going to be grounded until he was thirty, then so be it. He was going to _enjoy_ himself.

"Fine, whatever just don't tell Charlie okay? You can't tell anyone." Santana insists.

"Whatever." Quinn responds dismissively.

Santana raises a brow but doesn't say anything right away, "So how'd it go with the hobbit? Did she swipe your v-card?"

"Goodbye Santana, I'll see you tomorrow. Don't keep me waiting." With that Quinton hung up on her shaking his head. He was only slightly curious to know why the _hell_ Santana was going to fucking Toledo to go see a doctor. If it was important why couldn't her parents take her? He shrugs it off, Santana had always been weird. Now he had to focus on swiping Charlie's keys.

~O~

Quinn stalks into the cafeteria the next day like a man on a mission. Santana and Charlie were both idiots, but Charlie needed to know what Santana had planned. He might not even get in trouble for this, because he was _helping_. Finally locating his brother in the far corner of the lunchroom, he strode toward him and dropped the keys on the table. "Thanks for the ride." He smirks.

It's the last straw and Charlie's up and in Quinton's face shoving him hard before taking a swing at him. He was so _sick_ and tired of Quinn and Santana bossing him around. The punch connects and the lunchroom goes silent. Omega's _didn't_ fight alphas it was some unwritten rule, but at this point in time he didn't really care. Instead he simply jumps on Quinton not caring that his brother is stronger than he is and throws in another punch pausing as he smells Santana on Quinn. All over him, it's enough to distract him and enough for Quinn's fist to slam into his chin.

It's enough to shove Charlie off him, and he doesn't care right now that he's not supposed to hit omegas, Charlie fucking started it. He had been acting all high and mighty and maybe he _needed_ to remind him what his place was on the food chain. He quickly wrestles his brother to the ground holding him there with ease before slamming his fist down hard onto Charlie's face. He was going to make Charlie submit to him if it was the last thing he did. He was about to throw another punch when he suddenly gets shoved hard from the side sending him flying off Charlie.

" _The fuck_ are you doing?" Santana demands immediately her voice cracking like a whip. It's enough to get people to take a step back.

Charlie moves to stand but the pain in his face is too much for him to really concentrate right now. He stumbles forward a bit and shakes it off.

"I'm teaching him his _place_." Quinn snaps.

" _Fuck_ _you_." Charlie snaps at him causing Santana to turn to study his face and reach for him. It's enough for him to stumble back. He was angry, he was beyond pissed and right now more than anything he wanted to beat Quinn's smug face. "I'm so sick of alphas always thinking that they fucking own me. I'm so sick of your self entitled attitude. Dad was going to buy you your own car this weekend and I was going to help you fix it. But instead you just need to show me that I'm just a lowly omega, who needs to shut my mouth and do as he's told. _No wonder_ Rachel wants nothing to do with your pathetic alpha ass."

Quinn lunges at him only to have Santana completely block his path. "Step _back_." She shoves him for good measure. She might still be pissed at Charlie but she is not about to let Quinn push him around. " _Stay_." She barks causing Quinn to scowl at her. She had always kicked his ass when they were kids—before his growth spurt but he was now freakishly tall, and all that football had made his body hard. She wouldn't get out of this unscathed like all those other times before. "Quinton don't make me kick your ass publically," she threatens when he takes another step towards Charlie. It's enough for Quinn to pause and stare at her for a second before turning and storming off, shoving David Karofsky who was snickering. Santana exhales, and turns to Charlie. "Let's get you to a—"

He swats away her outstretched hand, cheeks flaming with embarrassment. Quinn had just kicked his ass in front of the whole school and rather than seeing how he could be the most popular guy in school, Santana thought she had to protect him. "What part of 'leave me the hell alone' don't you understand?"

"Charlie—"

"Leave me the fuck alone." Charlie snaps at her stumbling to grab his keys, so he could get to the fucking nurses office. Fucking McKinley where were the fucking teachers whenever you really needed them.

~O~

Santana storms into the house, slamming the door behind her. Today fucking sucked. She drops her backpack and the rest of her shit unceremoniously on the floor and makes her way to the kitchen. She short when her mother rounds the corner with a disapproving look. "I know I taught you better than to leave your stuff everywhere."

She startles, but quickly schools her face lest she accidentally reveal that she skipped her morning classes. "Mami, what are you doing home?" She picks up her bag and moves it to the corner of the room, hoping that's good enough.

"You do know that forging my signature is illegal, right?"

Santana freezes. She _can't_ know. Maybe she's talking about something else. "I would never—"

Maribel arches her brow, daring Santana to continue the lie.

Santana gulps, "I haven't—" She cringes when her mother's glare hardens, " _recently_ —"

Maribel shakes her head and pulls out the _one_ piece of paper that Santana prayed they would never find. "Then what's this? It's dated for today."

Santana's mouth runs dry. _Fuck_. She is going to be so dead.

"Maribel." Carlos chides, pulling on her elbow and gesturing for Santana to follow. "This isn't a cross examination, I thought we were going to confront her together." He guides her to the living room, and motions for her to take a seat on one of the couches. "I'm considerably more concerned about why you want breast implants. Does it have something to do with cheerleading?" He glances at Maribel, "I told you that it wasn't a healthy thing to do for her. It was going to give her a complex and now here we are."

Maribel rolled her eyes, "No one likes hearing 'I told you so' from their mate, it's unbecoming," she sniffs slightly irritated.

Santana swallowed, it would be so easy to blame this on cheerleading but she actually _liked_ being a cheerleader and if her parents forced the issue she'd lose all the perks of being head cheerleader. Not to mention Sue would murder her. "No—fuck—I mean, it has nothing to do with cheerleading. Hell Sue has a no plastic policy or something." She mumbles and looks away. "Look it was just—"

" _Mija_ ," Carlos frowns crossing his arms over his chest. "This isn't something foolish like getting a tattoo, this is _major_ invasive surgery. There's a million things that could go wrong, and not only that you're _fifteen_. Your height might, unfortunately, be locked in but the rest of your body is still growing." When Santana doesn't answer him, doesn't give him something he shakes his head, deciding to go on the tried and true method of getting her to talk. "What would Charlie think?"

Santana's brow twitches and she clenches her fists, "Like Charlie won't _love_ it?"

Maribel frowns, that didn't go the way she had expected. Based on Carlos's shocked expression, he hadn't either. "I'm sure Charlie wouldn't want you to put your life in danger just for a cosmetic procedure. Have you told him?" In her personal opinion Charlie should be grateful to see any breasts at all.

"You mean between him slamming the door in my face or announcing to the school that I was a fucking terrible alpha? No. It didn't come up." She snaps, silencing both her parents. She'd rather they didn't know _anything_ about her life, but if they were going to try this part time parenting thing, then they'd have to figure it out.

"He said _what_?" Carlos sputters after a moment.

But Maribel isn't so easily swayed. Santana's probably just being dramatic and they have had countless talks about respecting Charlie and his choices. If Charlie _did_ say something like that to her, then she must have failed him as the alpha. "Maybe you just misunderstood."

Santana frowned, "Which part? After I saved him from getting his ass kicked he said and I quote, 'Leave me the _fuck_ alone.' So no, I didn't misunderstand. He's been like this for _weeks_. He didn't talk to me all through spring break and he attacked Quinton at school today and I saved him and he couldn't just look at me—he was pissed to see me. So yeah, maybe bigger boobs will distract Charlie from whatever's crawled up his ass."

"Oh." Maribel frowned. She had no idea what she was supposed to say to that. The idea of failing their omega was an alpha's worst fear and she could only imagine what Santana felt. This wasn't even why they were here, they were supposed to be talking about Santana's decision to get breast augmentation at _fifteen_ , but if it was tied to the Charlie issue then they'd have to take it one step at a time. "Why were Charlie and Quinn fighting?"

"The hell if I know, but Quinn was determined to put Charlie in his place so it's not just _me_ he's angry at. I do know that Charlie hit him first." Santana shrugged.

" _Santana_ ," Carlos pressed.

Santana rolled her eyes, "Probably has something to do with that stupid death trap of a car that Quinton was driving, who the fuck buys their sixteen year old a sports car?" Santana shakes her head, Quinton had mentioned it was Charlie's she had simply assumed that he had borrowed it. "Quinton probably took it from Charlie."

"So they were fighting, they are brothers. I'm sure it happens all the time. Why did you get involved?" Maribel presses.

"Uh, because Quinton was going to cave Charlie's face in, over a stupid car. What would you have done? I'm his _alpha_ , I'm supposed to protect him."

"Protect him, but not smother him." Maribel reasons. "Mija, believe me. I know what it's like to meet your mate and love him so hard that he feels like he can't breath." She glances over at Carlos who still seems to be mulling over all of this thoughtfully. "But part of the reason we send you to Puerto Rico every summer is so that you and Charlie can both have space. Charlie's a teenaged boy who can fight his own battles every once in a while. I'm sure if you just give it time everything will work out."

"I _have_ given him time alone. But he's _mine_. Isn't he supposed to want me to be his too?" She's whining but she doesn't really care. She _misses_ him more than anything in the world, and she wants him to miss her too. She's not even sure if he does miss her with the way he's been acting. He didn't even want her to touch him today and that had hurt more than him being an asshole.

"That's it." Carlos stands, shaking his head. "I'm going to have a talk with that boy."

"Papi, no—" Santana cringes in embarrassment. That's the last thing she needs, her father making this all worse.

"Carlos—"

Carlos looked at her, "She was about to get _breast_ implants in an attempt to satisfy him, to make herself more pleasing to him. They're _mates_ and the longer this fight goes on, the crazier she's going to get. He can't decide to ignore his alpha, or reject her, or whatever it is he's doing. His own health is on the line too and let's not forget our daughter's sanity. So whatever the issue is it needs to be resolved." He glances at Santana, "Unless there's something else that you're not telling us."

"I don't know! If I knew what it was I would have tried to make it better."

Maribel shares a look with Carlos. She's never actually seen Charlie angry. Frustrated, and irritated absolutely. But _angry_? Charlie's always been the more reasonable of the two of them and she has to believe that all of this wouldn't just change out of the blue. She sighs knowing that Carlos is right. She turns to her daughter and narrows her gaze. "So he hasn't told you why he's angry with you?" She clarifies.

"Well I stopped listening after he called me a shitty alpha and accused me of trying to make him jealous by having omegas hang all over me. Which is _not_ true—" she emphasizes before her mother can jump on that train of thought, "—because I've treated all the stupid omegas on the Cheerios the same way I've always treated them."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure and it's _his_ fault that they've been getting all touchy feely with me." Santana insists. "If he hadn't called me a shitty alpha in front of everyone and made it seem like we were broken up, the other omegas wouldn't be pouncing on me." Santana sniffed indignantly.

"So, Charlie has had alphas trying to get his attention then?"

"Of course not, I'd rip their arms off and beat them with it." Santana snips immediately. Like hell any alpha would get within sniffing distance of Charlie. "I'm the most popular girl at school and head Cheerio, Charlie's mine, I made sure everyone knows it. He's off limits."

Carlos and Maribel glance at each other and sigh in unison, Santana had always been like this and she'd always been a handful. Carlos takes a breath, "Even with all this going on, you forged your mother's signature, skipped class, and made the silly decision to get breast implants when you aren't done growing. Being desperate _is not_ a good enough excuse Santana. Your mother and I talked about it and we've decided that you need to have some time to clear your head."

Maribel takes over from there, hoping her daughter isn't stupid enough to think she got off with just a warning. "We've booked a ticket for you to visit your abuela in Puerto Rico for the next week—"

Santana jumps to her feet in disbelief. "You're just going to ship me off? _Now_ when Charlie wants to _break up with me_?"

"Enough." Maribel barks, enough to cow Santana slightly for the moment. "Your father and I aren't here to enforce your grounding and it's _only_ because we understand how hard this is for you that you aren't being sent there until the start of the next school year."

"You can't _do_ this to me. I have Cheerios—"

"We already spoke with Coach Sue and she agrees this would be best for you. You're going to school tomorrow to get your homework for the week, and to learn of any tests that you may have and then we're taking you to the airport after school."

" _But_ —"

"There's no buts Santana, so why don't you go to your room and pack? You'll be back in time for your nationals, so don't worry and maybe the distance will do you and Charlie some good. Distance makes the heart grow fonder or something like that." Carlos says dismissively.

" _Please_." She's begging and probably being pathetic but she doesn't care. "Look, I promise, I'll go to mom's office and help out. Just _please_ don't send me away."

Maribel winces. She probably should have thought of that. She glances over at her husband that has a similarly shocked expression and then slowly shakes her head. "I'm sorry, but the tickets are already booked. Your flight leaves at six tomorrow night." She declares with finality.

Santana wants to scream. But that seems to childish, she didn't _throw_ tantrums. She exhales loudly and gets up before she's excused and storms up the stairs to her bedroom. Her parents were being unreasonable and _unfair_. She slams the door behind her and grabs her stupid suitcase and begins to throw some clothes into it haphazardly. She didn't _want_ to go stay with her _abuela_. Her house smelled weird, and she didn't have the internet and she was pretty sure her abuela was going deaf. It was going to be _hell_.

What she wanted more than anything was to fix things with Charlie. What she wanted was to know that they were going to be okay. That he wasn't going to go off and find some other alpha to take care of him. She wanted to know if he was going to miss her. She _hoped_ he was going to miss her. She glances at her door for a moment and then looks at her window. She had snuck out before to go to parties and the Fabray household was only a few blocks away she could totally make it before her parents noticed that she was gone. She needed to talk to him anyway. She slips on a pair of comfortable shoes and a pair of sweatpants and opens the window to her room and looks at the tree. Sue would _murder_ if she found out what she was doing, but right now there were more important things than what Sue would do to her. She needed to talk to her mate.


	10. Chapter 10

Charlie grunts as he worked on the underside of his car. He had no idea what Quinton had done with it but he had clearly taken it out for more than a spin. His car hadn't been ready for a long drive like that and Quinton was a fucking asshat for taking it without his permission. Now his face hurt and his eye was swollen shut and he just wanted to work on his car but everything seemed to be going to shit.

He groans when Santana's familiar scent overcomes the sweaty greasy grimey smell of the garage. He pushes himself out from underneath the car, mentally preparing himself for their next fight. He softens when Santana turns the corner, looking a little lost and for a brief minute he almost thinks she looks vulnerable before he dismisses that thought. Santana has never been vulnerable a day in her life. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to say goodbye." She forces her voice to stay normal.

"Goodbye—" He stops. "Are you breaking up with me?"

"No." She insists quickly, suddenly hardening a little when she remembers she's supposed to be mad at him. "No—I just—I thought _you_ wanted to break up."

Charlie winces but refuses to back down. He folds his arms over his chest. "Oh."

Santana gulps. What the hell was _that_ supposed to mean? Regardless, if she's being smuggled out of the country like some dirty secret, she's not going to do it without saying goodbye. "I got grounded."

"Well you know they can't enforce that—"

"So my parents are sending me to Puerto Rico." She finishes for him.

"Already? But we just had Spring Break." He's starting to panic now. Santana can't _leave_ , not when they're fighting like this. "Wait—what did you do?" For Santana's parents to be sending her to Puerto Rico, she must have done something. Her parents threatened it all the time especially given the times they'd been caught in compromising positions.

"Skipping class."

"You do that all the time."

"My mom knows I forge her signature," Santana adds and looks away. "Getting caught trying to get a boob job."

"What?" Charlie stands up. "You were trying to get a boob job? Why the hell were you doing something like that? Did Sue want you to do it—?"

"Why does everyone keep blaming Sue? No, I wanted to get a boob job so you'd notice me. So that we'd stop fighting and you'd fucking pay attention to me and you'd be too distracted to fight me all the damn time."

"Have you listened to a word I've said? I didn't need you to get a boob job—I needed you to stop trying to protect me all the time. I needed you to let me fall down, I don't mind you helping me back up but let me fall down. Let me get into a fight with my brother and maybe knock a few teeth out. You don't see anyone else at school having an alpha all over them." He shakes his head as suddenly the pieces fall together. "Is that why you were with him today?"

"I was with him because I needed a ride to the doctor's office." Santana pauses for a second. "Ew, gross you don't think Quinn and I—" Charlie looks away. "Is that why you got into a fight with him today?"

"I got into a fight with him because he stole my car."

"Oh." She's not sure why she's disappointed. "That death trap is _yours_. I thought Quinton just stole it off some freshman footballer. It smells like _cheetos_."

"She's a _classic_ , I fixed her myself." Charlie defends, bristling defensively.

"It smells like cheetos." Santana repeated with a shrug a smile tugging on the corner of her lips.

"It doesn't!" Charlie insists immediately. "If anything she smells like paint and gasoline, you know _manly_ smells."

"She? Should I be worried about that?" She's joking mostly.

"Well, she doesn't try and protect me from everything. Or making mistakes or just being me." Charlie responds and shrugs. "You don't listen to me, and lately it's been all about what you want to do and—"

"What I want to do?" Santana snaps. "You mean how I want to mate with _you_ , dumbass? Or do you mean when I say just one thing and you do exactly the opposite?" Santana takes a deep breath. "Do you know _how_ difficult it is for me? To make sure that the other alpha's aren't harassing you? I want everyone to know that you're mine."

Charlie rolled his eyes, "I am yours, I've been yours since we were three. But I don't want to mate with you just because you want to mark me as your property."

All Santana heard was that he didn't want to mate with her. Those words alone sent her entire world crashing down around her. "I guess that's it then."

Charlie crinkled his nose studying Santana carefully, "You really don't listen to a word I say do you?"

"You just said you didn't want to me with me! What else is there?"

"I qualified it, I don't want to mate with you _just because you want to mark me as your property_. I never said I never ever want to mate with you. I just don't want to do it because you want to mark me."

Santana goes to dispute that, but stops herself. When had she _ever_ said that she wanted Charlie to be her property? Or that she just wanted to mark him? She wants _everything_ with him and he just—doesn't care. "You accuse me of never listening to you, have you ever listened to _me_?"

"Of course I have." He dismissed. "You want to _mate_. I get it."

That's all he thinks she wants? She swallows down on the rising lump in her throat. "I don't want to _mate_ with you. I want to be your mate. _Fuck_. You know what, this was a bad idea. I'll just—I'll see you around I guess. Maybe when I get back."

"Santana—" He calls, but she's already turned her back to him. He frowns and quickly wraps his arms around her holding her in place. "That's what it feels like, since we went through puberty, it's felt like all you want to do is leave your mark on me to let everyone know to stay away."

"And you don't want that." She concludes. She should have figured that out earlier. Fuck, she had been so stupid. He doesn't want her mark, maybe he doesn't even want people to stay away from him. It hurts more than she expected it to, the thought that he doesn't want to be _hers_ the way that she wants to be _his_.

"I know I want you. I'm not sure if I'm ready to mate, I know I want to do it with you but not if you think of me as property. I never saw what the rush was, we're mates. You know it, I know it. There isn't going to be another alpha for me."

"The _rush_ is that I've known you were it for me since we were three. Every day that we don't spend together seems like a waste. I thought you got that. That you understood. But maybe my parents are right and we do need space."

"We've been together since we were three," Charlie sighs. "I don't even know who I am when you're not around and that _scares_ me. You've got it all figured out and I just _don't_. I don't have it figured out. I don't know what my plans are, I don't know what I want to do with the rest of my life and I don't even know if there is a Charlie without Santana. So when you stop me from experiencing something because you're trying to protect me it bothers me because I don't even know if I'll like it. I _like_ playing football, and yeah I might break my arm again even though I'm the kicker, but I like doing it."

"You think I don't get insecure? Every summer I get shipped off to a damn island without any internet and I have to wonder if you'll have found someone better while I was away. I don't know who I am without _you_ either but that never bothered me because I thought that as long as we were together we could figure it out." She still hasn't turned around and she'll be damned if he sees her starting to cry about this. She's an _alpha_ and she really should be better than being some baby.

"Santana, I—"

This time, she forcibly pushes him away. "I'd better pack. I'll see you when I get back." She mumbles and practically sprints away.

He watches her go sadly, feeling a pang of hurt that she doesn't even offer a backward glance.

~O~

Quinton glanced over at the clock. They had been going at it for nearly an hour and a half. He knew he was going to be in trouble when he stole Charlie's car but he didn't think he'd be in _this_ much trouble. He scratches his head when he realizes both his parents are staring at him, waiting for him to answer. Shit. He should have been paying better attention. "Sorry?" He tries.

" _Sorry_? Did you see Charlie's face?" Judy insists, her baby boy had brushed her aside when she had tried to get him to put a bag of frozen peas against his face.

"He punched me first!" Quinn insists. "I'm an _alpha_ , he challenged me! If he couldn't handle it he probably shouldn't have fucking gotten into it with me. It's hardly my fault that he's not very good at punching. I _told_ him to give me the keys and he wouldn't so I just—"

Russell's brow twitched and he held up his hand. "Your brother fought for what belonged to him, it was primal and you went and you claimed what was _his_ for yourself. All because your brother doesn't like to fight does not give you the right to take what was his."

"What about the fact that he _started_ it? He's being an asshole to everybody."

"Started what? From what I'm sitting you caused the situation by stealing your brother's car. You are incredibly lucky your mother convinced me not to report the car as stolen." Russell grumbled, he should have done it, but Judy had insisted that they would handle this like civilized people.

"Your father's right Quinton, your brother shouldn't have attacked you. I _agree_ with you, violence is never the answer and he's going to be punished for that, but you started it. What did you think was going to happen to openly mock him in such a public way? And what's this about wanting to put him in his place? Do you truly think that omega's are _lower_ than you? I'm your mother, am I beneath you?"

The question is enough to cause Quinn to look away slightly ashamed, "No of course not but—"

"That's what you keep telling Charlie, that he's beneath you. It didn't help that your brother basically did everything you told him to which made it slightly difficult to prove a point, but he's growing up Quinn. He's _allowed_ to say no. Or do you mean to tell me that if Rachel said no to you, that you'd force the issue and hurt her feelings or _worse_?" Judy prods watching as Quinn's face turns a shade of purple.

"Of _course_ not—"

"Then why would you think it's okay to do to your brother? He might have hit you, but I know you're physically stronger than him, you could have disabled him without beating on him, without losing your temper."

The question silences Quinn who doesn't have any sort of excuse. His mom was _right_ and he hated it. But he wasn't about to let Charlie get off this easily. "I know and it's not the same. I get it. But Charlie's been running his mouth, he told the whole _school_ that Santana was a shitty alpha and then he challenged me in the middle of the lunch room. He was _asking_ for someone to make him submit and it was better me than some other random alpha."

"He said _what_ —?" Judy asks, shocked.

But Russell's heard at least part of this before. "We're talking about _you_ son, and your choices. Not your brother."

But Judy frowns at the thought of her younger son disgracing his alpha. "That doesn't sound like Charlie." She murmurs.

"I was _there_. And the _only_ reason I stole Charlie's car is because Santana thought she needed to get a boob job in order to get him to stop being such an asshole." Quinn declares. It may not be the entire truth, but he could definitely spin this. "I was going to tell him when he sucker punched me."

Russell narrows his eyes, "Isn't _Santana_ your best friend? You mean to tell me when she told you this plan of hers you didn't turn the car around and head straight back home?" He pauses for a moment and turns to Judy, "I think we need to inform Maribel and Carlos what their daughter has planned, and you're going to apologize to them for facilitating it."

"But—"

Judy turned to Russell, "We're going to need to talk to Charlie as well and—" The sound of the door leading to the garage slamming shut interrupts her and Charlie slinks into the living room.

"Santana's parents are shipping her off to Puerto Rico for the week and—and—" Charlie sniffles and he rubs his face. "I just wanted her to listen to me and stop smelling like all those stupid desperate omega Cheerios. I didn't want to _hurt_ her though, just make her listen."

Quinn watched as both his parents went to go comfort Charlie and took that at his cue to leave. Charlie always was such a crybaby, that this wasn't a surprise. However, he was definitely going to use this to his advantage and while his parents dealt with the crybaby he was going to hide out in his room until they forgot about his little transgression. He makes it upstairs and closes the door behind him gently. Hopefully they wouldn't notice and he was in the clear. He sighs as he flops down onto his bed. Today had _sucked_ majorly and he did feel a little bad for hurting his brother and stealing his car.

Especially since his father had been about to buy him his own, one that didn't even need fixing up. It sucked that he was going to be stuck with public transportation for a while but he didn't even want to deal with Charlie right now. He sighs as his phone begins to buzz in his pocket and he pulls it out, if it was Santana he was going to let it go straight to voicemail. His eyes widen and he quickly picks up when he sees that it's Rachel. "Hey!" He winced at his voice cracking a bit and smiles hoping that she doesn't notice. They had texted a bit, he usually did it a bit more than she did but this was the first time that Rachel was calling him.

'Hey Quinton,' Rachel's voice came through the other end.

"Hi." He winced at how lame he sounded. "What—I mean, is everything okay?"

"I just had a bad day is all and Brittany is uh—busy with Mike and doesn't want to talk about it."

"Oh." Quinn didn't bother hiding his pleased smile. Rachel had called _him_. That had to mean something. "What happened?"

"My dance teacher—" Rachel's voice wavers. "This was a stupid idea."

"No." Quinn rushes. "No, it's cool. I'm sorry you had a bad day. I've seen you dance and I think it was the best thing I've ever seen." He hopes that doesn't make him sound like too much of a loser.

Rachel hesitated. "You're only fifteen."

"Sixteen." Quinn corrects.

She groans on the other end of the phone. "Still. You're still a child—"

"Stop." Quinn barks. He's not going to let her continue to ignore the fact that they are destined to be together. He grins when her rant stops and takes the chance to assert himself. "Yeah, it's probably not what you envisioned, but I am your mate. I may only be sixteen, but I care about you. I know you don't want to—you won't—uh—do stuff until I'm a little older. But it doesn't change the fact that you had a bad day. Is there anything I can do to make it better?"

Rachel sniffs a little, but Quinn's grin widens when she clears her throat. "Maybe just talk to me."

Quinn pumps his fists in the air quietly, he was totally in. "I can do that."


	11. Chapter 11

Santana pushed past the other airline passengers, frustratedly making her way to where she hoped her parents remembered to come pick her up. It wasn't like they had ever forgotten, but she wouldn't put it past them to get too caught up in their busy schedules to remember the daughter that they had shipped off to a stupid ass island. Her abuela's house was stuck in 1955. Who didn't have an internet connection in 2016?

She looks around for her parents and sighs; it wouldn't be the first time they were late to pick her up. It probably wouldn't even be the last, she frowns and fishes out her phone so she can call them when a familiar scent hits her and she finds arms encircling her from behind, a single rose being held up for her.

"I missed you."

Santana rests her head against Charlie's chest for a moment, "Missed you too," she admits freely taking the rose from his hand.

"I'm sorry." He says it before anything else can get in the way. "For everything."

"It's not your fault." She dismisses right away. She's been thinking about this a lot over the last week and she can only conclude that he's right.

"No, don't do that. I screwed up." He holds her tighter and rests his head on top of hers. "I should never have humiliated you like that, not publically, I shouldn't have even said that to you, or let my jealousy get the better of me. I was an asshole—no I'm an asshole and I'm sorry, please forgive me."

Santana sighs and turns around in his arms so she can look at him, "No, you were right. I was being a shitty alpha and I was putting my needs first and trying to push you into something that you weren't ready to do." She takes a shaky breath, she hadn't expected to have this conversation in a busy airport surrounded by people. She thought she still had time. "With no distractions—I've had plenty of time to think about this. About us, and I think you're right—our parents are right and we need a bit of space to grow. I mean I was going crazy without you, I wanted to have major surgery just to get you back."

Charlie frowned, "That's not what I want—that's never been what I wanted I just wanted you to let me fall and help me back to my feet instead of preventing me from falling. You were right too, that we can still figure out who we are together—that's why I'm here. That's why I wanted to tell you that I'm ready. That I want to mate with you."

She pulls back a little. This had never come up in her little scenarios, Charlie openly admitting to wanting to mate with her. It was probably guilt of some sort for making her sick, they were young they still had time. Rushing into things would only make things worse. "But do you really? You're right, no one else our age is even close to mating—"

"We've known, well you knew I probably thought you were a crazy person who smelled really nice, that we were mates. We couldn't put it in words but I liked it when you bit me. I liked you marking me, even when it wasn't permanent because it meant that I was _your_ omega."

It's everything she's wanted to hear but nothing had changed, not really. And the only thing that could be worse than hearing that she was a shitty alpha was knowing that Charlie would one day resent her. If a couple months or years meant that he would never hate her, then maybe it was worth it. "I know it will be hard, but you deserve the chance to figure out who you are without me."

"I'm sixteen, the hell am I going to figure out?" Charlie asks seriously. "I'm not going to figure things out by the time I'm eighteen, who knows if I'll figure it out ever. Who knows if you'll ever figure it out, but I just—I don't want to figure it out alone. Do you know how difficult it is sometimes to see you so confident and so sure of yourself?" Charlie swallows. "You know what you want and for once, in this case I know what I want. I know _who_ I want, that's never changed."

She's aware that people are watching, but that doesn't stop the beaming grin that overtakes her. "Are you _sure_?"

"I didn't sit through an hour long talk with _your_ dad and then getting permission from both of our parents if I wasn't." Charlie grimaces at the chill the memory causes. Despite being one of the most awkward conversations of his life, he'd go through it all again. His mom and Carlos had banded together and even though they had opened his eyes to what Santana was feeling, he just really wants to fix this. He feels his cheeks flush and his eyes drop, suddenly unable to meet Santana's eyes. "I uh—my Dad helped us get a hotel room."

Santana's brow arched so high it almost disappeared into her hairline. "What?"

"I told you. I want to mate with you."

"I didn't think you meant _now_."

"I do. You are ready, I'm ready and it's _time_. We can figure everything else out. Together. But I have already sat through enough talks on my changing body and respecting you and condoms to last a lifetime. So—" He cocks his head to the side and smiles widely, "—would you like to mate with me?"

Santana studies Charlie's face looking for any hint of doubt on his face, but mostly he looks excited and a bit embarrassed. It's cute. _He's_ cute and she's always had a hard time saying no to him when he was like this. "I don't know," Santana watches as his face twists into one of confusion and then he immediately pouts.

Charlie bites his lip and chews on it for one moment before swallowing, "Okay," he mumbles.

She grins and rolls her eyes, slapping him gently against the chest. "Come on dummy, let's go see what crappy hotel your cheap-ass father booked for us." She smirks and pulls away, leaving her duffle bag at his feet.

"Wait, what?"

She smirks over her shoulder. He may never be able to keep up with her, but as long as they were on the same page maybe it would be okay.

"Oh. _Oh_." Charlie says and then grins taking a step to go and catch up before tripping over her bag for a moment, he scrambles and picks it up and quickly runs after her. He takes her hand in his as he shoulders her duffel bag. "It's actually a pretty nice hotel, mom got mad at him for trying to book us in one of those sleazy motels that aren't clean. We can stay all weekend, but dad's making me pay for food."

Santana glanced at him, "I don't trust your definition of _nice_. You think that metal death trap that you drive is _nice_ even though it smells like cheetos." When Charlie flashes her a mischievous grin she groans. "You brought the metal death trap didn't you?"

" _Yep_." Charlie says cheerfully. "Don't worry my mom febreezed it. So it no longer smells like cheetos."

"So still a death trap?" Santana presses.

"She's a _classic_." Charlie insists. "People drive classics all the time!" He huffs, "Don't worry you'll learn to appreciate her."

Santana rolled her eyes, it could be worse. He could have asked for a motorcycle. At least this thing _probably_ had airbags.

~O~

When she had decided to go to this swanky hotel with Charlie, she hadn't truly expected that they would get far enough to _actually_ mate. Charlie may not be a two-pump chump anymore but he was no _savant_ with his dick either. She had gotten over how disappointing that was, because while he certainly wasn't able to get her off with his dick he had master plenty of other ways to do so. His mouth, being her favorite.

So she had been caught unaware when Charlie had taken charge, or his version of taking charge. He was still being submissive to her desires but he was very much in control of the situation as another orgasm wracked her body. " _Fuck_ —Charlie." Santana smacked his shoulder trying to push him off her. That had been number three and she was getting far too sensitive.

Charlie pulls back wiping his chin with his wrist and grinning up at Santana, he needed to play to his strengths here if they wanted to get this done and he wanted to get it done. He wanted that permanent reminder that he belonged to someone, that he belonged to Santana. "Yes?" Charlie asks watching as Santana's chest rose and fell rapidly as he gripped his own dick tightly and gave it a few quick strokes.

Santana glances at him watching him start to line his lower body with hers. "What—Charlie fucking Fabray, if you even think about putting your dick in me right now when I'm this fucking sensitive. I will—" She's immediately cut off by Charlie's lips against hers. She can taste herself on his lips and she knows why he likes being there eating her out, because she tastes fucking fantastic.

"You'll?" Charlie prompts after breaking the kiss, there's that mischievous look in his eye again which puts her on high alert. "Cause the way I see it, is that I'm here ready to mate and you're tapping out."

It's enough to get Santana's eyes to snap open and she lets out a low growl, immediately flipping them over and straddling him and poking his naked chest hard. " _Excuse you_." She's rewarded with a huge grin and a low groan from Charlie as his hips buck against her. He had challenged her, she was sure of that and the urge to make him submit was only abated by Charlie tilting his head up to reveal his neck to her.

"I'm ready." Charlie mumbles his cheeks flushed and his pupils dilating. He didn't realize how badly he needed this until this very moment. His body practically aches to have Santana sink her teeth into him, permanently marking him as her own.

She grins, something that looks almost predatory and feral while managing to make him feel protected all at the same time. She meets his eyes, trying to search them one more time for any hint of uncertainty. But there isn't any, and she shifts on his hip reaching down to grab him, running her fingers along his length. She searches his face again, but all she sees is excitement and lust as she slowly lowers herself onto him, letting him fill her. She groans still sensitive from earlier as she watches him sitting up. Running her fingers through his hair she leans forward and kisses him deeply her hands moving to rest on his shoulders as she controls the pace.

Her fingers dig into his back as he tries to move his hips in time with hers. " _No_ ," she orders growling at him, she's not going to let him blow his load to quickly and ruin this. She needed to remain in control despite the fact that she felt like she was quickly losing control, they needed to time this right or it would be another wasted opportunity. But she can't help herself, it's _never_ felt this good before and the look in Charlie's eyes. She digs her fingers in deeper for a moment as he hits a particular sensitive spot. She grabs his hair, glad that he had decided to grow it out and pulls his head back as she finds the spot that she had always wanted to mark. His left shoulder very close to his neck, and without hesitation she leans in. It's been years since she's bitten him, but she remembers it very well and she leans in and bites him deeply hearing him groan and tilt his body into it.

It's an explosion, it's the only way he can describe it as the bond that they had been denying—he had been denying, snaps into place. He could reject it easily, he could reject her, but all those feelings that he could never explain as a child, that didn't make sense whenever he looked at Santana. It all did now, he loved her more than anything. "Wow," he finally mumbles suddenly realizing that he's laying on the bed with Santana still attached to him.

Santana finally lets go looking at the bruise that will turn into a pattern to mark their bonding, she traces it with her finger watching as Charlie's chest rose and dropped. She had barely noticed the orgasm over the intense emotional bond that they had just created. " _Mine_ ," she announces looking at him. She can feel him, in her head he can't read her mind but she can just _feel_ him, his emotions, his arousal. She can practically feel his heart banging against his chest and his elation.

" _Yours_ ," Charlie agrees feeling his body starting to stir. A slow grin crosses his face. " _Yours_." He repeats.

Santana grins tracing his face gently before kissing him, she had never loved him more, she had never understood him more. She could see his insecurities, she could feel them and they matched her own, but they didn't have to do it alone anymore.

~O~

Quinn tilted his head as he came down the stairs for Sunday dinner, raising a brow when the door to the front of the house opened and Charlie and Santana stumbled inside. He frowns for a moment before deciding that he was going to let it go. Rachel had called him every single night and their relationship was _going_ somewhere. He could deal with whatever _this_ was between the two of them. Even if he was still grounded and still needed to be shuttled to where he needed to go by Charlie who was still irritated at him. "Dinner's ready," he says finally as he walks down the last few steps and heads to the dining room.

Charlie flashes a smile, "I'm _starving_ ," he admits.

"I know, let's eat and then you can pack your stuff, I promise I won't distract you," Santana mumbles as she presses her lips against his.

Charlie nods and takes her hand, but lets Santana lead them into the dining room, where his mom is putting the food on the table. "Hey mom, dad." He greets with a pleased smile as he pulls his shirt collar down a bit. "We mated."

"We know, we can smell it all over you." Quinn said reaching for a fresh bread roll and the butter plate.

"I'd say welcome to the family but you two have been attached at the hip since you were three. This was not the biggest surprise in the world," Russell said picking up his report and going back to it.

Judy rolled her eyes, "Congratulations," she offered. "Are you staying for dinner Santana?"

Santana rolled her eyes, damn Fabrays were taking the wind out of her sales. "I am then Charlie's going to pack and come home with me."

That's enough to get Russell and Judy's attention, "You two may be bonded but Santana you're _still_ fifteen and Charlie's just sixteen years old. We've talked it over with your parents, since we're not going to be able to stop the two of you from having sex, what we _can_ do is set up rules. You two are not _shacking_ up together during the school year, or during weekdays. I don't care what you do during holidays and weekends but until Friday or a holiday, you two are _not_ allowed to spend the nights together."

"But—we're _mates_!" Santana insists this was incredibly unfair! Everything that they had gone through and she still couldn't just take Charlie home with her and keep him.

"When you're both eighteen you're free to do whatever it is you want, until then enjoy the rules. Since we're the ones paying for your food and boarding you're living by our rules," Judy adds after a moment as she heads back to the kitchen to get the roast. She stops and presses a kiss on Charlie's temple. "I'm happy for you Charlie. But Santana can't keep you locked away in her closet for the rest of your life."

" _But_ mom—"

"No buts. I made your favorite dessert so sit down and get ready for a feast, you two must be starving." Judy insists shooting Charlie a look that makes him immediately pull out the chair for Santana. She hears Santana grumbling under her breath but it's enough for now. Her son wasn't going to run off never to return again just because he and Santana had mated.

Charlie grins at the thought of food. Life can't get any better.

* * *

 **AN: That's the end of this story, yes I'm aware some of you are disappointed with the ending, I know I was. So anyway, let's move on to Sucker For Pain. It's longer, twenty-seven chapters, and perhaps by the time that story is halfway done, I'll start posting I Know What You did Last Summer. Who knows, maybe something else. Maybe Magician. Maybe Hellfire.**


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